CITY
EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT SUSPENDS EMPLOYEE FOR RACIAL EPITHET
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NEWS AND COMMUNITY RELEASE---
(August 1,
2013) — On August 1,
2013 Andrew Jaffee, Director of Emergency Services & Telecommunications
convened a Loudermill Hearing regarding the racial epithet stated by an
Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher on July 22, 2013.
Based on the findings of the investigation and testimony presented during the hearing, Mr. Jaffee found just cause to issue discipline for violation of the City’s “Workplace Violence Policy” and Conduct Unbecoming an Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher.
When issuing discipline, the employee’s past performance, the City’s Progressive Discipline guide, and the seriousness and significance of the incident were considered. As such, the employee will receive a five-day, unpaid suspension to begin Friday, August 2, 2013, and must attend Cultural Diversity training upon his return to work.
In addition, all employees of Emergency Services & Telecommunications will be required to attend Cultural Diversity training.
Based on the findings of the investigation and testimony presented during the hearing, Mr. Jaffee found just cause to issue discipline for violation of the City’s “Workplace Violence Policy” and Conduct Unbecoming an Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher.
When issuing discipline, the employee’s past performance, the City’s Progressive Discipline guide, and the seriousness and significance of the incident were considered. As such, the employee will receive a five-day, unpaid suspension to begin Friday, August 2, 2013, and must attend Cultural Diversity training upon his return to work.
In addition, all employees of Emergency Services & Telecommunications will be required to attend Cultural Diversity training.
It is still interesting that the city has not identified the dispatcher who apparently made the remarks. I am not sure why, but my sources have identified him as Andrew Nichols . Sources have also told me that an arrangement was made to actually , in the end, reduce the suspension to only one day rather than the five detailed in the Press Release above.
Although I think the suspension and diversity training is probably appropriate, where is the accountability for the department head that never notified the Mayor when the incident occurred. Should an e-mail from me to the Mayor's spokesperson be the first time Segarra was made aware of this? Doesn't a Department head have an obligation to advise the Mayor of a potential public relations disaster looming on the horizon?
And if my sources are correct, Jaffe originally denied that a recording of the conversation existed. I guess myself and other reporters kept pushing the issue, knowing that all radio conversations on the City's Radio system were stored on recordings. Late that afternoon the recording surfaced.
8 comments:
Kevin, you are so right....why were they hiding the name of the dispather involved. I don't care what anyone says, race played an issue in this because Andrew is white. When Shante, Cassandra & Kim was goin through their issues their namese were put all over the blog & everywhere else. They were trambled over. That's a lie about them going by the employees past performance & the City's progressive discipline guide because they used. none of that with Shante or Kim.They went from. admin leave to being fired there was no inbetween. A lot of people didn't like Stango but he fid his job as a Director. This SHIT Jaffee is doing is CRAZY. How can a Director pick and choose who & how he wants to discipline his employees. What's good for some isn't good for others???? Thats some BullShit !!!! Shame on the Mayor for not holding Jaffee accountable for what is going on in his dispatch center. They don't respect him or the supervisors on A or Bsq. They do what they want when they want & go toe to toe with their supervisors and they will continue to do so because they know Jaffee's not going to do anything. Think he's a JOKE!!! Mayor Seggara please turn the department back over to Police
I agree 100%. I'm a retired dispatcher before Jaffee took over and it was no way near as bad as it is now. The way the Director's (Stango & Jaffee) disciplined are the same. Here's some examples: When Stango was there Nayda Serrano & Shyrlene Chapman got into a very loud altercation on the dispatch floor which continued outfront of the PD. Everyone had to write a report and a meeting/hearing was set for them to hear.
both sides & then Stango would decide their discipline. Well that. never happened, Management decided to. drop it. because favortism was being given to Nayda. because. she was and stll is to this day dating the. Operations. Manager, Mike Bruce (who's married by the. way). What. ever shw wants she gets all she has to do. is call him & he comes running like a Puppy Dog. Another example of his great work is when Asha Lewis. & Carmen Soto got into a very loud altercation on floor. just like the other two did, After their meeting with. Management & the Union Stango suspended both of. them for "20" days!!! He always was preaching about. Zero Tolerance in the work place, REALLY. Where was. the fairness in that??? Stango was the one who fired. Shante also over something his Operations Manager. (Mike Bruce) said he overheard her say which was a lie. There was no progressive discipline for her & he didn't. hold Mike accoubtable or himself for that matter for. what they put her through. Jaffee did the same with. Kim, there was . Progressive discipline with her either. Jaffee had his mind up from day one that he was goin to. fire her. That's why the City loses the majority of. their cases & end up paying back so much money then. get sued on top of that. Question, why do you think. people who get hired don't stay or get let go as they. say? It's not because they can't do the job, it's because. of Sorry Ass Trainers. Hence Kat O'dwyer (Training. Supetvisor) what a JOKE!!!! She's quick to say how she. dispatched back where she came from but she don't. know SHIT about dispatching her. How can you be in. charge of training and no one has seen you dispatch. here in Hartford. I know they would love to see her try. and fall flat on her ASS!!! I'd like to see her dispatching. a 10-0 or a 2nd ir 3rd alarm fire. Back to Jaffee, he has bullies/trouble makers that has been doing shit for years and has been ir will be done about it becsuse they lie their way out of it. Ir blame it on someone else. Jaffee, grow some BALLS and stop letting your dispatchers run you!!!! Be the Director you're suspose to be, one that's honest & FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD. If you can't do that then most definitely the Mayor needs to turn ES&T back ovet to PD. After this 5day suspension he gave Andrew Nichols, his head is on tge CHOPPING BLOCK. The same with tge Cheif with his 10day suspension for Kessler. How do you put these two people back to work with and around the people who they have racist feelings towards???????
Please, like it is really difficult to watch tv and paint your nails inside a nice new climate controled dispatch center. ...
As reported in the local press, Messers Esdaile and Bibbins are unhappy with this punishment, but let's question why there isn't such an outcry when the offensive word is used in normal conversation involving black city workers every day. I'm all for accountability, but it must be fair and equal.
I agree with just about everything that was said about unequal discipline but to say Gary Stango did his job as a director...that's a big joke! Gary Stango stole from the City everyday and came and left whenever he wanted to. He spent most of his time lounging on the City's dime in his condo on Woodland St. before driving back and his city car back to Torrington everyday. He rarely worked 40 hours a week and hired ADA deadweight his ex-firefighter buddy who is well overpaid for the lack of work he does. Comparing Andy to Gary is like comparing apples to oranges.
I agree with a lot of what is being said but what is funny the names that are being mention are Supervisor's or soon to be Supervisors in Communications. Should I say anymore. What is also strange it seems the past three VP's of the union became Supervisors. Regarding the training how could someone train dispatchers in Hartford when they can't. You wonder why you can't keep dispatchers. Last I believe Jaffee should be given a suspension also for not notifying his boss. If his supervisors didn't notify him he will blow a gasket.
So let me get this straight, Jaffee conducts an investigation and in his report (email) concludes that the dispatcher's comment was "inadvertent", but now he holds a hearing and finds the dispatcher guilty of violating a workplace violence policy? Can someone say double jeopardy? Just another loss at the labor board for the city.
Where was the intent? You hear the word every day on the street. There was no malicious intent by the dispatcher.
Thr administration should be looking at the real issues like worker's comp fraud by several police officers.
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