Bentleyville, Pa. – Police Chief Richard Young, who has led the borough’s police department since 2014, and former treasurer/secretary Tammy Stamm have taken legal action against five members of the borough council and the current borough secretary/treasurer, Danielle Ott. The lawsuit, filed Friday in Washington County Court of Common Pleas, alleges a coordinated campaign of defamation that has damaged their reputations and caused emotional distress.
Allegations of false misconduct claims
According to the complaint, council President Joseph Pigeon III, Vice President Timothy Miller, council members Kimberly Sacco, John Hackinson Jr., and Kathryn Rakosky, along with Ott, disseminated an “avalanche of accusations” that Young and Stamm deliberately concealed borough expenditures, paid themselves for time they did not work, and misused borough funds through an unauthorized police‑grant account.
The accusations stem from a Finance Committee report issued in April that was not authorized by the full council. The report listed alleged failures to follow procedures, misclassification of expenses, potential payroll irregularities, and possible issues with the Police Grant Account. It further claimed that financial information had been withheld from council and the public and that excess payroll expenses were hidden.
Details of the lawsuit
Attorney Bill Labovitz, representing the plaintiffs, described the suit as a response to a campaign “waged by certain members of borough council to make their lives miserable.” The complaint states that nearly 30 copies of the Finance Committee report were distributed to the public, each containing unredacted personal data such as Social Security numbers, home addresses, driver’s license numbers, and employee benefit enrollment information for current and former borough officials.
Stamm, who was hired in January 2018 and terminated on Jan. 5, 2026—just 17 days before her pension was to vest—claims she is still owed $21,974 for accrued sick time, unused vacation, and a final paycheck that was calculated at a lower hourly rate than her current salary. The borough’s solicitor, Dennis Makel, has turned the lawsuit over to the municipality’s insurance carrier for review and declined further comment.
Council members’ statements
During a borough meeting in April, Ott asserted that the profit‑and‑loss statement showed a deficit of about $309,000 over the past three years. Other council members used terms such as “unauthorized,” “misused,” and “misappropriated” when discussing the report.
In a group text with the police committee, mayor, and chief in July, former council secretary Kimberly Sacco allegedly accused Young and Stamm of “theft of services” related to paid time off. Miller reportedly told a person at a hog roast in Hiller in August 2025 that Young was pocketing fine money from the police department. Young refuted that claim, noting that all fine money is collected by the courts and then remitted to the department, which has deposited $413,782 into the general fund from July 2014 through September 2025.
Defense and damages sought
The lawsuit asserts that all larger expenditures were presented to and approved by council or the police committee, with signatures from the council president, vice president, and Stamm herself on each check. Overtime and paid‑time‑off requests were processed in accordance with the borough’s long‑standing practices and the police department’s union bargaining agreement.
Both plaintiffs seek monetary damages for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. Labovitz emphasized that the false statements have turned Young and Stamm into “crooks” in the eyes of some residents, harming their reputations and causing emotional distress.
Community impact
Residents have reportedly approached Young and Stamm in public, asking where the “missing money” is, further intensifying the personal toll of the accusations. The plaintiffs argue that the lawsuit is necessary to clear their names and hold the council members accountable for spreading unverified claims.
The case underscores the importance of transparent governance and the protection of public officials from baseless attacks. As the legal process unfolds, the borough’s residents will be watching closely to see how the council addresses the allegations and whether any procedural reforms are implemented.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
