Two high-level supervisors are out at Denver Public Works– among them discharged after workers alleged that he maltreated them as well as lost money acquiring impractical devices.
Kelly Duffy as well as Doug Legg are “no longer employed” by the city as of Monday, July 1, according to an e-mail to department staff from DPW Director Eulois Cleckley. The message did not give a specific factor, however Duffy surrendered prior to prospective discipline and Legg was disregarded, according to city officials.
Late in April, 13 staff members stepped forward with grievances regarding Legg, according to his termination letter, acquired by The Denver Post through an open records request Monday. He was a supervisor under Duffy, who was the supervisor of street upkeep.
The employees informed detectives that Legg had a “credibility for harassing and also screaming, and discourteous, despiteful, and daunting conduct towards them and also lower level employees,” according to the dismissal letter.
One staff member claimed it felt “like a mistreated wife circumstance where you get little hits, like spoken scare tactics, so frequently that you stop also discovering them.”
A procedures manager reported hearing Legg putting down city employees for talking Spanish. “We’re in America now, and also we talk English,” he purportedly said.
Employees described Legg as “not significant and also hazardous about safety and security problems,” stating both he as well as Duffy made “adverse statements” regarding safety specialists.
In a corrective hearing, Legg claimed the issue consisted of errors, however he really did not recognize them, according to his dismissal letter. He stated there was a misinterpreting concerning his behavior as well as he “had no intent” for it “to be regarded as it was.”
Both Legg and also Duffy were put on leave in very early May pending an investigation for undefined reasons.
Later, it came to light that tools vendors paid for Legg’s as well as Duffy’s 2018 trip to Europe– a possible offense of city values plans.
The termination letter keeps in mind an evident offense of values rules for the journey, which included drop in both Germany and Italy. Legg really did not tell division leaders that he and also Duffy would be taking a trip to Italy during the journey, according word for word.
As well as the financing for the journey– which came from two manufacturers and a vendor, HardLine– created a dispute of rate of interest, the letter wraps up: ” Allowing HardLine to pay for your worldwide traveling gave you an economic passion in the City’s purchase of the sweeper from HardLine.”
A rep for HardLine didn’t immediately reply to an ask for remark.
Last week, The Denver Post reported on complaints concerning DPW’s handling of the process for purchasing almost $5 countless road sweepers from Dulevo, one of the suppliers. A rival stated that the procedure preferred Dulevo. Legg purportedly suggested the purchase without consulting the manager of road sweeping, according to the termination letter.
Employees informed private investigators that he and Duffy maintained “purchasing brand name brand-new products that are not extensively made use of, while obtaining rid of older equipment that still functions fine” while purchasing “every upgrade offered, to the factor that the supplier’s fitness instructors have never ever seen anybody order numerous upgrades.”
For instance, Legg was charged of purchasing “gigantic snow rakes that rest high off the ground and can not be utilized for anything much less than regarding 10 feet of snow.”
In his email to staff members, Cleckley claimed employees must feel able to call out bad behavior.
“It is important to the success of our company that we make sure a society in which workers are valued and feel they have the capability and also the support to report when something looks or feels incorrect at work,” he wrote.
Legg and Duffy have actually not replied to demands for comments.