WEST OLIVE, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is clarifying some confusion surrounding their approval of the current top health officer in Ottawa County, Adeline Hambley.
Hambley filed a lawsuit in mid-February against newly appointed county commissioners, saying they improperly demoted her to "interim" health officer in an effort to strip her of certain decision-making abilities, and eventually get rid of her altogether.
She was previously appointed as the county's health officer by the previous commissioners at a meeting on Dec. 13, 2022.
Several weeks later, the newly appointed board demoted Hambley to serve as "interim" health officer.
Hambley's lawsuit aimed to get a court order that barred the commissioners from demoting her to "interim" health officer and from firing her without cause.
A judge issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, which prevents Ottawa County from firing Hambley.
A hearing is set for March 13.
The newly appointed commissioners also replaced their legal counsel in January, hiring Lansing-based Kallman Legal Group.
In an email response by defense attorneys, which were later filed with the court, plaintiff attorneys included two letters sent by the MDHHS after Hambley was initially appointed health officer on Dec. 13.
As required by law, a representative of John Shay — the former county administrator — sent a request to the MDHHS to approve Hambley's appointment.
Two letters of approval were then sent to the county.
One of the letters is dated Dec. 21, 2022 and says Hambley is approved to begin her tenure as of April 1, 2023.
Another letter is dated Dec. 20, 2022 and says Hambley is approved to begin serving as of Dec. 21, 2022.
In a filing related to Hambley's lawsuit, Ottawa County's legal team claims that the letter approving her for Dec. 21, 2022 was sent first, and then a second letter was sent, "which changed the effective date of Ms. Hambley's approval to April 1, 2023."
The state health department claims this is not accurate.
A spokesperson for the department told FOX 17 on Friday that they initially sent the letter dated Dec. 21, 2022, with the April 1, 2023 start date, in error.
They say that the letter that approved her for service as of Dec. 21, 2022 was sent second and was meant to correct the initial date.
In short, MDHHS says Hambley was approved to begin serving as Health Officer beginning on Dec. 21, 2022, not April 1, 2023, as attorneys for the county are now claiming.
Both sides will have a chance to make their arguments in court on March 13.
