Betty Seamon, a member of the Levy ARC board of directors, speaks to county commissioners about the problems she sees at the Otter Creek facility.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Levy County Coordinator Wilbur Dean sent a Nov. 4  letter to the Levy ARC Board of Directors expressing concern about the level of care and lack of activities being provided to its special needs clients.

            The letter was endorsed by the county commission, which provides $57,412 of taxpayer funding to LARC annually, and was intended to alert the directors that they should address the situation.

            “The Levy County BOCC are strong supporters and advocates of mentally challenged citizens of our county. The letter is only being written because of this concern. I wanted to make you as board members aware of this situation so it can be addressed as needed,” Dean said.

            Levy ARC Board member Betty Seamon, whose son was once a client at the facility appeared at Tuesday’s county commission meeting and questioned whether it was safe for the clients to be at ARC anymore. She said she doesn’t think any of the employees at ARC are trained in CPR.

            She said she hasn’t been getting answers from Executive Director Bill Slaughter who took over after the passing of former Executive Director Betty Walker. Slaughter worked for years as the wood shop director at Levy ARC.

            Seamon recalled an incident where one staff member assaulted another at ARC in Otter Creek. A sheriff’s office report said the victim in the case, Tina Haley, was pushed to the floor by fellow staffer Lena Burr during a verbal altercation that turned physical on Oct. 21, 2019.

            The sheriff’s deputy who investigated interviewed both women. Haley, who wasn’t injured in the altercation declined to pursue charges and signed a waiver of prosecution. Seamon said Burr, the woman who pushed Haley to the floor, was let go.

            Seamon pointed to the incident as an indication of the poor leadership at ARC and that clients and their parent’s sense there’s a problem.

            Commission Chairman John Meeks said it was time to act.

            “I think there needs to be a call to action sooner rather than later,” he said.

            Seamon said she doesn’t want ARC to close out. She wants new blood in the executive director’s office.

            She said Nick Brown worked out there for many years under Walker. He was looking forward to taking over. He has a four year college degree. She said Slaughter wanted him to work for $9 an hour for two years.

            “This was supposed to be swept under the rug,” she said.

            She said the ARC clients, whom she refers to as kids, are not sure what to do.

            “They are scared,” she said.

Stefanelli Responds

            Randy Stefanelli, an insurance agency owner in Chiefland who has served on the ARC board of directors for 15 years and worked with former Director Dogan Cobb when he served on the board, was interviewed Friday concerning the conditions at ARC.

            He said Slaughter, who is 75, has worked with the ARC clients for many years as the wood shop director and puts in a “valiant effort.” He said he may not be perfect but he doesn’t think Slaughter should be “kicked to the curb.”

            “I don’t think I have seen anything that would rise to that level,” Stefanelli said.

            He said there is a group that is seeking “a revolutionary change in managers.”

            Stefanelli said if a change in leadership is needed, he would favor sending Slaughter back to his old job in the wood shop rather than terminating him. He said it could very well be that the executive director’s job it too big for him.

            He said Slaughter is a pastor and a veteran, knows he is in the twilight of his working years as a 75-year-old man. He has an ailing wife.

            Stefanelli said he knows about the shoving incident involving two staff members and is aware of a situation that involved Slaughter leaving work one day when his wife was extremely ill, but he believes there was enough staff leadership left at ARC to handle the situation in his absence.

            But he said he hasn’t seen anything that warrants firing Slaughter.

            “I think some folks got it in for him,” he said.

            Stefanelli said it was his impression that Nick Brown was being groomed for Walker’s job and that Walker would step down and let him take over.

            “That was always the plan. Nick was going to handle it, but when push came to shove, Betty decided she was going to stay,” Stefanelli said. Walker passed away while serving as executive director.

            Slaughter was hired for the position instead of Brown.

            “Nick has never discussed with me the possibility of being the executive director,” Stefanelli said. “You would think if he wanted the job he would have talked to me about it.”

            ARC has five members on its board of directors. They are Charlie Smith, County Judge James T. Browning, Keith Maynard, who runs the Wild Hog Canoe Race, a Levy ARC fundraiser, Seamon  and Stefanelli.

            They will decide ARC’s future and whether Slaughter keeps the executive director’s job, leaves ARC or goes back to the wood shop.

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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting December 3, 2019; Posted December 6, 2019