The state of Vermont put an administrative law judge on paid leave last week after a VPR report that she was facing charges for embezzlement from Montpelier’s farmers market.
Ileen McGurran, who presides over unemployment insurance hearings for the Department of Labor, was placed on leave Friday, Jan. 24 after reports surfaced that she was accused of embezzling money from the Capital City Farmers Market. Members of the Stowe Farmers Market also alleged that McGurran misappropriated that market’s funds when she served as its president and treasurer.
McGurran will continue to be paid her normal salary during the leave period. She makes $68,536 annually, according to Steve Collier, an attorney for the state’s Agency of Human Resources.
Collier said he is unable to comment on a specific case, but that generally the state can discipline employees in five different ways: oral or written reprimand, unpaid suspension (for up to 30 business days), demotion or firing.
Any disciplinary action, Collier said, must be argued before the state Labor Relations Board, where the state must successfully prove its case before disciplining an employee.
Whatever the outcome, Collier said, employees placed on paid leave stay on paid leave until the state is either confident in bringing them back to work or confident in a case against them.
“Once we have somebody on relief from duty, they stay on relief from duty until we know the facts,” Collier said.
