PHILIPPI – The Barbour County Clerk faces three misdemeanor charges after allegedly “unlawfully restraining” county employees from leaving her office in February.

Laurie Lee Austin, 59, of Philippi is charged with assault, battery and unlawful restraint, all misdemeanors.

Austin was being held on a $10,000 bond, which has been posted.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by West Virginia State Police Trooper First Class Z.B. Kisamore, on Feb. 21 at around 9 a.m., Austin can be seen on video surveillance entering the main office of the Barbour County Clerk’s office in a “hostile manner, closing the door and putting up a chain barrier that blocked her employees’ exit from the office.” Kisamore then states that the footage shows Austin appearing to “verbally berate” office employees.

Austin was then seen in the footage allegedly using her body “as a barrier,” along with the chain, to “intentionally restrain and stop” an employee from leaving the office, according to the complaint.

The complaint states that Austin then allegedly “turn(ed) her aggression” on another employee and proceeded to pick up a cardboard box and “slam it” on that employee’s desk “in a hostile manner close enough to make (the employee) reasonably apprehensive of receiving an injury.”

At around approximately 2:40 p.m., according to the complaint, Austin is allegedly seen on the footage “intentionally” making physical contact in an “insulting and provoking manner” to the same employee whose desk Austin had “slammed” a cardboard box on. The employee allegedly received a bruise on their hand from the incident.

A preliminary hearing in Barbour County Magistrate Court has yet to be scheduled for Austin.