SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Detective Jack Harb of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office—who is quoted in the February 13 River Reporter article titled “Misconduct alleged in Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office” accusing the sheriff’s office of a hostile work environment—was notified by letter on Tuesday, February 11 that he was suspended for 30 days without pay. 

Harb says in addition to a letter of suspension from Sheriff Mike Schiff he was given a letter with a disciplinary recommendation. The recommendation from the hearing officer is a result of a July 2024 hearing regarding misconduct charges levied by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office against Harb. Harb was accused of making disparaging remarks at a union meeting a year and a half earlier about a fellow, now retired, sheriff’s office employee.

The hearing officer’s recommendation matched the 30-day suspension without pay outlined in the letter from the sheriff’s office.

Undersheriff Eric Chaboty told the River Reporter, “His suspension is based on a decision by a hearing officer in his section 75 disciplinary proceeding. The sheriff received the hearing officer’s decision and made a determination that he would accept the recommendation of the hearing officer as to number one, Jack Harb’s guilt, and number two, the penalty that should be imposed. And the penalty that he adopted on the recommendation of the hearing officer, was the 30-day suspension without pay.”

Harb plans to appeal the hearing officer’s determination. Harb says the suspension is a direct result of his choice to make public claims about the hostile work environment in the sheriff’s office. 

On the timing of the suspension, Chaboty said, “It’s unrelated. The hearing officer operated on his own schedule and rendered his decision when he did. It had nothing to do with your newspaper article.”

In testimony given during Harb’s July disciplinary hearing, allegations of misconduct and an FBI investigation of the sheriff’s office were also made. Read reporting by the River Reporter on the allegations here.

In the July hearing, Harb’s attorney James Tuttle argued the charges were made in retaliation for Harb’s actions as the union president of the Sullivan County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and his knowledge of allegations of misconduct learned in his union role.

Until Tuesday, February 11, Harb was still working at the sheriff’s office, and had not received a recommendation from the hearing officer; the misconduct case remained undetermined. 

According to Chaboty, the hearing officer rendered his decision on Saturday, February 8. It was received by the sheriff on Monday, February 10. The sheriff made his determination on Tuesday, February 11 and Harb’s suspension took effect at the close of business that day. The suspension runs from February 12 through March 13.

Harb has two hostile work environment complaints that were found by the county to have “sufficient evidence” against the sheriff’s office.

The PBA is hosting a fundraiser for Harb on March 1 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Rockland House, 159 Rockland Road, Roscoe.