Board director feud with member spills over into courts

Vanessa Niekamp, director of Ohio’s funeral board, has filed a civil lawsuit against board member Tommy Taneff, alleging that Taneff has repeatedly harassed her and treated Niekamp discriminatorily because she is a woman, the Irontron Tribune reported February 1. Niekamp—appointed to the board by Ohio governor John Kasich— submitted several previous complaints to state agencies alleging harassment on the part of Taneff.

Taneff tried to get Niekamp suspended from her position last October alleging, unsuccessfully, that as board director Niekamp falsified public records and practiced law without authorization.

According to the news report, the quarrel stems from an investigative news report, published in 2014 by The Columbus Dispatch, revealing that the funeral board failed in numerous instances to properly discipline companies and act on instances of fraud.

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