News 6 has obtained dueling documents painting vastly different pictures of a chief deputy’s resignation from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

After a nearly 20-year career, the chief deputy — Joseph Barile — resigned from his position on Sept. 10, without public explanation.

But on Wednesday, News 6 obtained Barile’s official statement and the FCSO’s separation notes, providing a much clearer picture of what actually transpired.

INITIAL STATEMENT

Shortly after Barile’s resignation, the FCSO put out a statement.

“We respect Joe’s decision to resign from the agency and move his life in a new direction,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We wish Joe the best in his future endeavors.”

The release brings up budget negotiations with the county and the city of Palm Coast, all broached within the context of concerns over Amendment 3 potentially sparking budget cuts.

The statement claims Sheriff Staly decided not to fill the Chief Deputy position, with duties instead being carried out by other officials at the agency.

WHAT BARILE SAYS HAPPENED

Barile provided his statement on Facebook, declaring it’s meant to “provide transparency and answers to the questions everyone has been asking.”

In the statement, Barile said he was called into a unexpected meeting with an HR representative and Sheriff Staly, where he was provided with the option to resign or be fired.

According to Barile, he’d never been issued formal discipline during the span of his career, other than a written reprimand from 2013 over “horseplay on the radio.”

However, Barile said he could “no longer fulfill my role in the way Sheriff Staly expected me to do so,” the statements says.

“When I accepted the position of Chief Deputy, I was made well aware that I could be let go at any time if the Sheriff felt I was not fulfilling my duties to his expectations…” the statement reads. “None of this was hidden from me, and the Sheriff was very blunt and honest about this prior to me accepting the position.”

As such, Barile said he was presented with two options: voluntarily resign and receive a letter of recommendation, or otherwise be terminated from his position.

However, he denied resigning due to misconduct, internal investigation, or taking a job elsewhere.

WHAT THE SEPARATION NOTES SAY

Notes from the separation meeting show that Sheriff Staly determined Barile’s “effectiveness as a leader” had deteriorated “based on a sustained pattern of leadership conduct and judgment.”

“Your direct reports have expressed fear and apprehension when dealing with you,” the notes read. “Members of the leadership team have described being yelled at, subjected to profanity, and concerned about reprisals or repercussions for communicating with me.”

Furthermore, those documents allege concerns that Barile had engaged in “favoritism,” including with women with whom he’d “previously had personal relationships.”

“I have completely lost confidence in your leadership and in your ability to continue serving in the appointed executive position of Chief Deputy,” the notes continue.

Barile addressed these concerns in his own statement, claiming that he clashed with Sheriff Staly’s way of doing things and became “overwhelmed, stressed, and frustrated quite often.”

A CLASH OF VALUES?

In his statement, Barile mentions that he doesn’t accuse Sheriff Staly of being “unethical,” but said their values differ.

Barile also laid out several bullet points in which he discusses some of his own self-proclaimed values.

“● I believe in treating employees like people, not tools. I value their time, commitment, and dedication, and encourage them to spend time with their family and loved ones and not let the career consume their entire life. I don’t believe in creating unrealistic expectations and overworking my team in all roles, sworn and civilian. Civilian roles in law enforcement organizations are often some of the most overworked and undervalued positions. These roles are vital to an organization, and their health and well-being should not be ignored.

● I truly value the input of others, encourage it, and believe it is necessary for an organization to thrive. I am not scared to ask others, no matter what rank, for help if they have more knowledge or skill in a certain area.

● I believe in promoting and awarding specialized positions to those who have earned them through the required process, their work record, and dedication. I do not believe in skipping someone for a promotion, denying someone a specialized unit assignment, or reassigning someone to another position simply because of one or two interactions with someone that rubbed me the wrong way.

I was always very aware that some members of the Sheriff’s Office just did not like me and would hear some of the things said about me. However, I never let this influence a decision or recommendation I made. Whether it was a promotion, assignment as a field training officer, assignment to a specialized unit, or anything else, I would seek input from others to determine if that opportunity was earned and was the right one for the organization.

● I don’t believe in using employees, citizens, or anyone as political pawns.

● I don’t believe in treating citizens simply as a vote and disregarding the ones who cannot vote. I swore to serve and protect everyone, not just those who can benefit me.

● I do not believe in publicly shaming people, adults and juveniles, who made one poor decision and putting it on social media as a trophy. Especially if that person is going through a mental health crisis. We are there to serve and protect the community, not shame and ridicule them.

● I would never auction off my Chief Deputy for a date at a Gala in front of hundreds of people without his prior knowledge or permission and publicly tell everyone that he was stood up for the dinner and put him in such an embarrassing, uncomfortable, and demeaning position, putting a literal price tag on him, even if I knew he would be a good sport about it and make sure it didn’t reflect negatively on me in such a public and prestigious event.”

Former FCSO Chief Deputy Joseph Barile

Barile also said he would still be involved in the community and continue to attend local events.

“To those who want me to fade off into the sunset and disappear, you will be disappointed, because I’m not (expletive) leaving,” Barile’s statement concludes.

FCSO RESPONSE

The Flagler County Sheriff’s office says it normally does not release personnel information, but says after Barile went public, the office released his separation notes to provide the community with “the full context” behind what happened.

“These documents speak for themselves, and Sheriff Staly will have no further comment on the diatribe of a disgruntled former employee,” the FCSO explained. “Sheriff Staly and the Agency wish Mr. Barile the best in his future endeavors.”