AW/ARE staffers who walked off the job Aug. 14 aren't sure what's going to happen tonight at a meeting with the agency's board of directors.

"In light of the board's most recent reactions, we really don't know what to expect," the 11 staff from the county's domestic violence agency said in a statement issued Wednesday.

"We're just staying focused on what we need to present to the board and hope for the best possible outcome," said the employees, who among other things, counsel victims and accompany clients who go to court seeking restraining orders.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at AW/ARE's Coolspring Township office. The board has stated that it is an administrative meeting and not open to the public.

Staff walked off the job last week after they said the board failed to answer their call for an Aug. 9 meeting to air complaints about how the agency was being run. Staffers are demanding the resignation of Executive Director Leah Koon of Greenville.

The walkout effectively shut down shelter services for victims of domestic violence in Mercer County. AW/ARE has kept its office open and continues to answer calls to its hot line.

Board President Donna Barton notified staffers that the board would meet with them Aug. 23 and said Ms. Koon was on medical leave. Mrs. Barton also said an interim director was being sought.

Mrs. Barton has not said if Ms. Koon is on a paid or unpaid leave.

The regular board meeting held Monday also raised questions in the community. More than 40 people showed up at the location given to The Herald by two AW/ARE officials -- the First National Bank building in Sharon -- but the board didn't. AW/ARE's solicitor Ann Becker has an office in the building.

The board met at the bank's Hermitage office building instead.

As well as calling for Ms. Koon's ouster, staffers said their concerns include the compromise of client confidentiality, violation of agency policies and procedures, a lack of leadership and poor communication between staff and the agency board.

Staffers cited a 1998 memo from Ms. Koon as one reason for that poor communication. Each employee was required to sign off on the memo.

According to the memo: "Conversations with board members concerning staff issues will be considered to be gross misconduct and will be grounds for immediate dismissal." Staffers say that it was never formally entered into the personnel policy, but they were intimidated by its implications. Staffers say they want the board to develop a plan to deal with employee complaints and avoid a similar situation.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharon-herald.com