Jul. 2—A theft-in-office charge against a former University of Toledo employee was dismissed Thursday in Toledo Municipal Court.
Drevon Wynn, 42, of Cleveland had been charged May 3 with a felony theft count after the university claimed he failed to turn in a university-issued laptop after his last day of employment April 26.
Mr. Wynn, who served as UT’s director of labor/employee relations and human resource compliance, was in contact with the university around that time because he was diagnosed with the coronavirus and his symptoms continued through early May, his attorney am previously told The Blade.
Mr. Wynn was living outside Toledo at the time and coordinated a time to drop off the laptop May 27 with a university police officer.
But when he attempted the drop-off, he was arrested and charged with stealing the computer, although his lawyer said Mr. Wynn never intended to “permanently deprive” the university of the Dell Latitude 5511 laptop, his attorney said.
Mr. Abood said Friday the at “anyone who looks at the facts of this case” would clearly see it as “retaliatory” against Mr. Wynn for his having filed a discrimination complaint in January with the Ohio Civil Rights and Ohio Equal Employment Opportunity commissions after he was passed over for a position. That complaint remains pending.
The lawyer said he had hoped a preliminary hearing scheduled in municipal court Thursday for the criminal charge would go forward because it would provide an opportunity to confront and cross-examine witnesses. But city prosecutors instead requested dismissal, according to court records.
“It’s due process. We get an opportunity to confront and cross-examine at a preliminary hearing,” Mr. Abood said. “We wanted a preliminary hearing, we said it on the record, [but] the case was dismissed.”
Further explanation about the dismissal and which assistant prosecutor handled the case was not immediately available Friday from the city prosecutor’s office.
“The only way that this criminal charge will reoccur is if the Lucas County prosecutor agrees to act with the university in further retaliation against this man,” Mr. Abood said Friday. “There is absolutely no basis for this claim — none.”
The Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office said Friday it was not involved in the case.
State civil rights commission spokesman Mary Turocy meanwhile, said Mr. Wynn’s complaint is one of 10 such discrimination cases involving UT that await initial determinations. among other discrimination claims. Ms. Turocy said details of those cases are not yet public records.
An OCRC complaint filed by Wendy Davis, former UT chief human resources officer, was found June 24 to have probable cause and may continue for reconsideration or conciliation, Ms. Turocy said. Ms. Davis claims her position was replaced by new or former subordinate white employees.
Meanwhile, Matthew Krull’s…
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