MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — When West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner took over his office from outgoing Democrat Natalie Tennant, 16 At-Will employees were let go.
12 of them have filed suit, and the Board of Risk Management (BRIM) has settled with four of them.
Mike Queen is Deputy Chief of Staff & Director of Communications for the Secretary of State’s Office. He said on WEPM’s “Panhandle Live” Thursday morning Warner did not ask the employees about their political affiliation, as the employees allege, but each employee was reviewed:
Queen: “Does this person? Does that person fit in”
“Panhandle Live” co-host Marsha Chwalik: “Fit in with the ideology of his office?”
Queen: “That’s right. With the goals and objectives that he set. Maybe fit in is a bad term.”
He added the employees were At-Will and knew what they were getting into:
“They are all at-will employees. Everybody who is hired signs a contract saying ‘I realize I work at the will and pleasure of the office holder. I could be fired tomorrow’.”
Queen added it is within the rights of the Secretary of State to put in place whomever he sees fit.
“A constitutional officer has the right to develop a staff that he or she belies they need to accomplish the goals, objectives and responsibility of the office. That’s all that Secretary Warner was simply doing.”
Warner has been critical that BRIM settled with the four employees. Queen says the settlements set a dangerous precedent that could redefine what being an At-Will employee means.
Story by WEPM’s Marsha Chwalik