By Rick Dandes
SUNBURY — Ten employees of the Northumberland County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday began a lawsuit against Vinny Clausi, claiming the county commissioner's statements Tuesday about the staff viewing Internet pornography at work were false and defamatory.
"These are veteran law officers and our position is that it is untrue and this is not going to change," said Gregory A. Stuck, a Northumberland attorney representing the sheriff's department.
Stuck said the sheriff's staff on Wednesday received phone calls from the public, asking "'if a bunch of perverts worked in the office.' This is why they are very upset. They didn't do it.
"If Mr. Clausi has a finger to point at one specific individual in the office, point it. Do it," Stuck said. "But to say the sheriff's staff as a whole did this is irresponsible."
Passwords to the computers in questions were known to others in the courthouse, Stuck said.
"So any number of people could have logged on," he said.
Stuck said he did not know whether a pornographic Web site had been accessed by one of the computers in the sheriff's department.
"I don't know that to be true yet," he said. "I just came on the case Wednesday."
Members of the sheriff's staff were appalled that Clausi would make accusations at a public meeting, Stuck said.
"That's why we're taking the action against the commissioner and the county," Stuck said.
The entire sheriff's staff, except Sheriff Chad Reiner, was named in a writ of summons issued to Clausi and Northumberland County late Wednesday afternoon. A writ of summons informs defendants that legal action has begun against them.
Reiner was not part of the writ of summons because Clausi on Tuesday said only someone on the sheriff's staff "” not the sheriff himself "” viewed the pornography, Stuck said.
Clausi, contacted Wednesday night, said he was unaware that any legal action had been taken.
"This," he said, "is the first I've heard of it."
Stuck said he would speak with the sheriff's staff today to determine what damages would be sought.
In a written statement sent to The Daily Item, along with the writ, Stuck said the sheriff's staff "seeks justice and a correction of the public's opinion. A full retraction is anticipated by Mr. Clausi."
Countered Clausi: "I will never give any retraction to anyone because I told the truth. I stand by what I said at the meeting. I have evidence that two members of the staff logged into two pornographic Web sites and I will show my evidence in a court of law."
Named as plaintiffs in the action are Michael Boris, of 222 S. Poplar St., Mount Carmel; Joseph Jones, 210 S. Poplar St., Mount Carmel; Thomas Drust, 1025 W. Chestnut St., Coal Township; Matthew Henrich, 816 W. State St., Coal Township; Dwayne Pidcoe, 801 Elm St., Watsontown; Robert Wolfe, 139 S. Sixth St., Shamokin; Randy Coe, 176 Senator Drive, Millersburg; Deborah Kaleta, 52 S. Market St., Mount Carmel; Bernadette Chaundy, 3665 Route 61, Sunbury; and Lori Fry, 1102 W. Lynn St., Coal Township.
Earlier Wednesday, Clausi said he received more than 100 phone calls from residents who were "outraged and upset" over the allegations centered on the sheriff's department.
"This must be resolved," Clausi said. "It's a concern beyond the pornography. How can (Reiner) secure the courthouse and protect the judges and the court systems when he can't even secure his own office?"
Clausi raised the issue of porn-viewing in the sheriff's office while balking over Reiner's request for a $30,000 increase in his budget.
Contacted Tuesday about the concerns, Reiner said county officials could not prove who was viewing the pornographic Web sites because his deputies would often leave their computers logged on while away from their desks. In light of the concerns, the sheriff said he has ordered his staff to cease all use of the Internet while on the job.
n E-mail comments to rdandes@dailyitem.com. Staff reporter Wayne Laepple contributed to this report.
