By Janice Morse and Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MIDDLETOWN - Mayor David Schiavone, facing allegations that he was improperly absent from his job with the Butler County Adult Probation Department, has been placed on paid leave from the county job.

Schiavone declined to comment during Middletown City Council's meeting Tuesday evening about his suspension from his manager's position with the county department, as did other council members. Earlier Tuesday, Gary Yates, chief probation officer for Butler County, said at least five department employees told him they "felt under pressure" to give statements that Schiavone, their supervisor, was seeking.

In a letter dated Monday, Yates told Schiavone: "Your status on administrative leave is necessitated by your disruption of the workplace."

Yates said Schiavone's pre-disciplinary hearing on 12 departmental allegations, set for Friday, is being postponed. The allegations include 10 inappropriate absences during work hours in February and March. The other two allegations say Schiavone improperly approved time sheets for subordinates and failed to properly supervise an employee's job performance.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com and mclark@enquirer.com