MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Daryl Duncan, the former CEO of Mon Health, will stand trial for harassment.
Duncan and his attorney, Ray Yackel, appeared before Magistrate Tim Pocius in Mon County Magistrate Court on Friday.
Yackel requested a bench trial, meaning the trial would be decided by Pocius instead of a jury. The request was granted and the trial set for mid-August.
Prosecutor Perri DeChristopher did not object to the date. Her concern was the statute of limitations expiring. Yackel said he was fine with the date, which is more than three months away and over a year since Duncan was charged in May 2018.
The case was originally assigned to Magistrate Darris Summers, who retired March 1, 2019. The case was then moved to his replacement, Pocius. Yackel was not the first attorney to represent Duncan on the case. Yackel said those were reasons for the delay in going to trial.
According to court records, the case has had five hearings canceled.
A criminal complaint alleges Duncan sent several emails to his former employer with the intent of harassing his replacement. He’s also accused of sending mail to his former employer, co-workers’ homes and places of worship.
Following the release of a letter signed by 28 physicians, alleging his leadership style damaged morale and resulted in several resignations, Duncan was placed on a leave of absence in February, 2018. In March, he officially resigned as CEO.
Dottie Oakes, the former COO, was named as interim CEO, however, the complaint does not specify if she was the target of the alleged harassment.
Story by William Dean, Dominion Post