ALFRED — York County Emergency Management Agency Director Leo Rogers was fired Friday for allegedly lying about his relationship with a subordinate employee while he worked as a captain at York County Jail.

The four York County Commissioners present ”“ Chairwoman Sallie Chandler, Daniel Cabral, Richard Dutremble and Michael Cote ”“ all voted in favor of County Manager Greg Zinser’s recommendation that Rogers be terminated.

Rogers was named EMA director in April 2013, but had worked for the county as a corrections officer at York County Jail since 2002. He was promoted to captain in 2007 and was named assistant jail superintendent in 2011.

Rogers was placed on administrative leave April 13. County commissioners conducted a hearing on his termination in a closed-door executive session July 2.

According to a letter commissioners wrote to Rogers that they released Friday afternoon, Rogers began a personal relationship with a subordinate employee in August 2011, when he was a captain at the jail, and the couple married in October of that year. While Rogers was not his wife’s direct supervisor, he was just one level removed from a direct supervisory relationship with her. The letter, signed by Chandler, the commission chairwoman, noted that Rogers did not disclose his relationship to the jail administrator, sheriff, county manager or county commissioners. The couple allegedly separated a few months after the marriage in December 2011, but remained married.

The letter goes on to say there were union grievance complaints between 2010 and 2013, which alleged that the relationship existed and that the female employee was shown favoritism by Rogers.

“At one point, a senior member of the sheriff’s office asked you about the existence of this relationship and you denied, it,” the letter states.

In March 2013, Rogers applied for the EMA directorship and was interviewed by Zinser, the county manager.

Because of the past allegations, Zinser asked Rogers whether there was ever a personal relationship between him and a subordinate employee at the jail, “and you adamantly denied such a relationship,” the letter states.

“You should have been aware that even a consensual relationship between a senior manager like you and a subordinate employee within the supervisory chain can lead to a sexual harassment complaint if the relationship ends and the subordinate claims the supervisor was making unwanted advances,” the letter continues. It went on to say that such relationships can lead to complaints of favoritism and that the county manager, in asking the question, wanted to be sure the individual hired possessed “the appropriate level of judgment and integrity.”

According to the letter, Rogers informed the county manager on Feb. 7 that he was married to a jail employee, and Zinser subsequently discovered that the couple had married two years previously.

Rogers could not be reached for comment, and his attorney, James Clifford, did not return a telephone message Friday seeking comment as of press time.

According to the letter, commissioners reviewed Rogers’ alleged claims of retaliation and discrimination, and concluded they were unfounded.

County attorney Tim O’Brien said the crux of the matter was the alleged misleading and false information provided by Rogers.

“When asked, he was not forthcoming with the facts,” O’Brien said.

Deputy EMA Director David Francoeur was named acting EMA director when Rogers was placed on leave and continues in that role.

Commissioners made a motion after the executive session July 2 to “adopt a course of action recommended by the county manager.” The Journal Tribune protested the vagueness of that motion, citing the state’s Freedom of Access Act, and was supported in its stand by the attorney for the Maine Press Association and the chairman of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition.

O’Brien said he relied on the Freedom of Access Act and also on state statutes as they apply to personnel records when he advised the commissioners.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].