The commander of the Delaware post of the State Highway Patrol has been demoted and reassigned for an inappropriate relationship with her supervising captain.

Meanwhile, a sergeant and trooper from the Delaware post face dismissal for having an inappropriate supervisor-subordinate relationship.

Heidi Marshall, 36, was demoted today from lieutenant to trooper and reassigned to the Circleville post, said Lt. Tony Bradshaw, patrol spokesman.

An administrative investigation accused her of failure to adhere to the responsibility of command, conduct unbecoming an officer and failure to comply with orders, he said.

Marshall and Capt. Clarke Kiner were accused of using a state e-mail system for personal purposes to express "love" for one another. They admitted a close relationship involving brief embraces and kisses, but denied they had sex.

Kiner, 53, retired in June from his $104,274-a-year job after serving 31 years with the State Highway Patrol. A message seeking comment was left at Kiner's home.

Marshall signed a "last-chance" agreement in which she retained her 13-year job with the patrol, Bradshaw said. Her pay will be cut from $81,670 as a lieutenant to an unspecified, lower amount as a trooper.

A message seeking comment from Marshall was left at the Circleville post. Marshall, who also is a lawyer, is the daughter of retired Col. Kenneth Marshall, patrol superintendent from 1997 to 2000.

The unidentified sergeant and trooper from the Delaware post received hearings on Friday in which a hearing officer found "just cause" for discipline.

A decision on their fate of the sergeant and trooper, who have been on paid leave since Aug. 4, is pending, Bradshaw said.

Herschel Sigall, lawyer for the Ohio State Troopers Association, said the sergeant and trooper have been informed they will be fired. They dispute the allegations, he said.

Patrol investigators claim that the male sergeant and female trooper had an inappropriate supervisor-subordinate relationship. The investigation also alleged that the man allegedly sent a personal cell-phone photo of his penis to the woman, Sigall said.

The two officers dispute the allegations. The troopers association will appeal their pending dismissals, he said.