CLARKSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Clarksburg City Manager Tiffany Fell has been fined $2,000 and publicly reprimanded after admitting to violating the West Virginia Governmental Ethics Act by bringing her infant child to work, where city employees helped provide childcare during working hours.
The West Virginia Ethics Commission approved a conciliation agreement Thursday, November 5, resolving two ethics complaints involving Fell.
According to the agreement, Fell gave birth in January 2025 and regularly brought her newborn to City Hall until approximately June or July 2025.
During that time, employees under her supervision reportedly performed childcare duties, sometimes interfering with their regular responsibilities.
In one instance, an administrative assistant allegedly had to type official meeting minutes in the dark to prevent the infant from crying. Other employees reportedly fell behind on their work because of childcare responsibilities.
Fell acknowledged violating the Ethics Act but maintained that employees voluntarily interacted with her child and that she never required them to provide childcare.
A second complaint alleged that Fell attempted to influence an employee during the Ethics Commission’s investigation by telling her that her answer “is no” to everything if contacted by investigators.
Fell denied the allegation, maintaining that the incident resulted from a misunderstanding. The commission agreed to dismiss that allegation as part of the settlement.
In addition to the $2,000 fine and public reprimand, Fell must complete ethics training and arrange additional workplace training if she remains employed by the city.
She is also prohibited from taking adverse employment actions against two employees involved in the investigation for five years without justifiable cause.
In a statement Thursday, the City of Clarksburg defended Fell, saying her decision to bring her infant to work was an accommodation that allowed her to continue overseeing city operations.
The city said Fell returned to work just two days after giving birth and that employees’ interactions with the child were not viewed by city leadership as intentional misuse of public resources.
City officials confirmed that Fell continues to have the support of Clarksburg City Council.
