Ohio County Assessor Greg Kloeppner is on the defensive. A former employee says she lost her job just because she is a woman-- and she took her case to the Wheeling Human Rights Commission.

Kloeppner says 3 years ago he needed to restructure his office, so one position had to go. His office manager, Barb Wallace, who was actually doing two jobs, wound up losing both. But less than a year later, Bruce Teachout took on Wallace's former responsibilities in one job. So Monday morning, she went before the HRC, claiming Kloeppner fired her because she was a woman, and replaced her with a friend of his. "Very basically, she is a female and believes she was discriminated against because of her gender," says Rosemary Humway-Warmuth, Wheeling's City Solicitor, representing the HRC, "and a male received a job she was entitled to."

On Day One of the hearing, Wallace testified she knows of records on Teachout in the Assessor's office, and phone conversations between him and Kloeppner, prior to being hired. When Wallace's job was cut, Teachout was already working in the Assessor's office on a lower level.

Wallace claims Kloeppner recruited Teachout before posting her job opening. Kloeppner says he responded to the posting and applied, like anyone else. Says Kloeppner's attorney, Tad Greene, "As the County Assessor, he has the right to run his office, and create positions, eliminate positions, and essentially, Ms. Wallace's position was eliminated for a lack of need."

To be clear on this, Barb Wallace is not suing Kloeppner, and Kloeppner can not be disciplined by the HRC. She has a job now, and regardless of the Commission's findings he will remain Assessor. This hearing is simply to pursue an on-the-record result, a public statement of whether Kloeppner discriminated against Wallace or not. The hearing picks up Tuesday morning.

--Rick Terry, NEWS9 Wheeling