Sheriff Officers Association Files Suit Against Mangano, Sposato

The Nassau County Sheriff Officers Association (ShOA), the union representing Nassau County's more than 1,000 Correction Officers, announced Friday that it has filed a Complaint in the New York State Supreme Court against, among others, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Nassau County Sheriff Michael Sposato for the alleged unlawful appointment of three members of the Sheriff’s Department to positions that are not recognized by the Civil Service Commission or that the appointee is not qualified to hold.

ShOA is asking the court to order the removal of these individuals from these positions and the rescission of any order given by these individuals in the appointed jobs.

In three separate instances, a Correction Officer and two Correction Captains were appointed to the position of “Acting Deputy Undersheriff” and “Acting Commissioner of Correction” by Sheriff Sposato, according to the complaint. The Deputy Undersheriff position is ranked above a Correction Captain, and is only outranked by the Commissioner of Correction, Undersheriff and Sheriff.

However, there are no “acting” titles under the Nassau County Charter, ShOA said. In addition, the Nassau County Civil Service Commission of Correction, which was also named in the Complaint, confirmed it does not recognize “acting” titles in a response letter to ShOA.

“These appointments to higher ranking positions are inappropriate and illegal, especially when the County just recently demoted 30 Correction Corporals and reduced front-line Supervisors in the jail as a result of budgetary constraints,” said John Jaronczyk, President of the Nassau Sheriff Officers Association.

According to Mangano, these directives were mandated by New York State officials in order for Nassau County to host inmates transferred from Suffolk County facilities.

"The New York State Commission on Corrections directed the Sheriff to fill these supervisory positions," Mangano said. "The union is trying to dilute those who wish to disciple employees and to thwart the County's efforts to generate millions of dollars in revenue that help hold the line on property taxes."