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OnTrack president denies Sullivan has been fired The Department of Human Services has found safety hazards at three of OnTrack's housing units, including this one on King Street in Medford. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Saturday Jan 28, 2017 at 5:30 PM Jan 28, 2017 at 5:30 PM Local report The board president of OnTrack, Southern Oregon's largest drug and alcohol rehabilitation provider, is denying media reports that its executive director, Rita Sullivan, had been fired and said she remains on administrative leave, despite repeated previous statements from him that she would no longer be with the organization. “Dr. Sullivan has not been fired," OnTrack board President Jim Maize wrote in an email Saturday. "She remains on paid administrative leave as the OnTrack board conducts a comprehensive organizational audit. We are discussing Dr. Sullivan’s separation from OnTrack, but there is no final agreement." On Friday, Maize said of Sullivan, "As far as the board is concerned, she won't be returning." He made a similar statement Saturday morning but on Saturday afternoon said in the email that the report of her departure was premature. “Because Dr. Sullivan was coming to OnTrack facilities to participate in an event, agency staff was told she wasn’t returning in her executive director capacity," Maize wrote. "It is unfair and inaccurate to confuse that statement with any conclusion about Dr. Sullivan’s current or future employment status with OnTrack. We will tell the community and our community partners when a final agreement has been reached. “For now, the OnTrack board is focused on addressing the serious issues identified by the Department of Human Services and providing a corrective action plan on Monday.” Sullivan, who was placed on paid administrative leave in November, is paid $120,000 annually. She came under scrutiny after current and former employees alleged in a tort claim that she verbally abused them and made "unethical and unreasonable demands" of them. The employees also complained of OnTrack's failure to address safety and health concerns. In addition, OnTrack is being investigated by the Oregon Department of Human Services after inspectors this month found "deplorable conditions" at OnTrack's crisis housing. Twenty families are being moved out of the housing because of safety risks, according to DHS. After multiple news stories of Sullivan's departure appeared Friday in the media, including the Mail Tribune, Maize contacted the Mail Tribune Saturday morning, saying the agency board had "taken no action at all to fire Dr. Sullivan," but reiterated she would not be coming back to work at OnTrack. "To have somebody not coming back doesn't necessarily lead to being fired," he said. Saturday afternoon, Maize sent an email denying that there had been any decision to end Sullivan's tenure with OnTrack. Earlier the same day, Maize was asked whether Sullivan was asked to resign and the board was still waiting to hear from her. He said he couldn't comment. "Sometimes you're in a very sensitive period when people are talking and you don't want to create aggravation where there isn't any," he said. Maize said the board will provide DHS with a plan for corrective action by Monday as required by the state agency.