The Chief Probation Officer of the Adams County Common Pleas Court abruptly resigned last month. Regina Hall who was paid over $64,000 per year had been working for the Adams County Probation Department since November 1996.
In her resignation letter, obtained through a public records request, Hall cited a ‘hostile working environment’ as part of her resignation. Her supervisors were Adams County Common Pleas Judge Brett Spencer and Adams County Court Administrator Veronica Grooms.
The letter read, in part, “Working for the Adams County Courts and Probation Department for the past twenty-five (25) years has been a wonderful experience that has afforded me many opportunities. Unfortunately, it has now become a hostile work environment.
I wish only the best for the department and I hope I have prepared them for much success.” The letter was prepared using RocketLawyer.com, a service that helps users provide legal documents.
The Informer contacted the Adams County Common Pleas, Juvenile and Probate Court Administrator, Vernoica Grooms to obtain comment on the unusual departure of a long-term county employee. “Our court system, which includes the probation office, is a fair and welcoming place to work. We have high expectations for our employees because we want to be good stewards of tax dollars and the people who interact with court and probation staff are entitled to timely and fair treatment. Our deadlines are crucial, and the subject matter of our work can be sensitive and unpredictable. We appreciate the work of Regina Hall, and we wish her the best in her next endeavors.”
As of press time, Hall was still listed on the Court website as the Chief Probation Officer, leaving who replaced Hall unclear.
The role of a probation department in Ohio is to supervise offenders placed on Community Control/Probation, Intervention In Lieu of Conviction, Judicial Release, and the Specialized Dockets Programs.
