An upstate county worker wants to be compensated for the lunch he missed on the day of the Binghamton massacre, according to a report.
James Kauchis, an accounting clerk for the Broome County Department of Social Services, was fairly tight-lipped when pressed for comment by the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin.
"That's a matter between me, the administration and the union," Kauchis told the paper.
Kauchis was in his office on April 3 when Jiverly Wong sprayed the inside of the nearby American Civic Association with bullets, killing 13 people before he turned the gun on himself.
Many area buildings, including the one in which Kauchis worked, were on lockdown as police taped off the area and investigated the scene. The lockdown was what prevented Kauchis from being able to go out for lunch, though the department had pizza and beverages delivered.
"We have a lot of wonderful, committed employees who gave up a lot more than an hour lunch," Broome County Executive Barbara J. Fiala said Tuesday. "I'm disappointed that one employee has been given this much attention for this reason. I really don't know what he was thinking."
Broome County Personnel Officer Michael Klein denied Kauchis' complaint, saying the lockdown "did not violate state labor laws or their union contract," the report said.
