Vermilion Township – Township trustees held an emergency meeting Friday at 11:30 a.m. to address a personnel issue connected to a hallway confrontation earlier in the week between Township Administrator Joe Baxter and Erie County Assistant Prosecutor Charles Bennett.
The request follows a hallway altercation that occurred outside the township meeting room earlier in the week. Audio of the incident captured a heated verbal exchange between Baxter and Bennett, with raised voices and overlapping accusations. The confrontation escalated abruptly, and several witnesses described the interaction as tense. No injuries were reported and no law enforcement response was initiated at the time
The board entered executive session under Ohio Revised Code 121.22(G)(1) to discuss personnel matters. An investigator from the Erie County Prosecutor’s Office attended the meeting to gather information about the incident, including the audio recording submitted as evidence.
After returning to open session, trustees voted to draft and send a formal letter to Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter requesting that Bennett be replaced as Vermilion Township’s assigned assistant prosecutor. A second motion affirmed that Bennett should remain on the Dunn case without interruption until that matter is resolved. Trustees stated during the meeting that Prosecutor Baxter had been informed that a written request would be coming..
Vermilion Daily contacted those involved for comment. Assistant Prosecutor Charles Bennett declined to comment. Township Administrator Joe Baxter was reached but did not offer any public comment at this time. Prosecutor Kevin Baxter said he would withhold comment until he receives the township’s formal request.
Township officials have not issued additional public statements beyond the actions taken during Friday’s emergency session. The trustees are expected to finalize their letter to the Erie County Prosecutor’s Office in the coming days.
Transparency statement: I was present during the original altercation between Township Administrator Joe Baxter and Assistant Prosecutor Charles Bennett. I personally recorded that exchange on audio and provided the recording to the investigator from the Erie County Prosecutor’s Office during the trustees’ executive session on Friday. This account reflects both public proceedings and firsthand information I observed.
Further updates will be reported as new information becomes available.
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