The claims were difficult to obtain and the City of Hartford fought their release under an FOI request I submitted , claiming that their release would have a "chilling effect " on employees filing such complaints. The effect might just be the opposite though as people read these complaints and realize the chilling effect that the actions of City officials may have on the budget of the City of Hartford's taxpayers.
Settlements in discrimination cases sometimes come with hefty price tags if justified. The majority of the cases are coming out of the Department of Public Works and paint a real picture of dysfunction when it comes to employee relations. Others just appear to be adults acting like children and unable to get along.
Here is the City's original reply to my FOI request:
Mr. Brookman:
The City of Hartford has a statutory obligation to
maintain an environment free from illegal discrimination, and to that end seeks
to encourage, rather than deter, the filing of internal complaints by employees
alleging discriminatory treatment, hostile work environment, and the like. The City of Hartford will not, therefore, be
releasing complaints of discrimination that are currently undergoing
investigation so as to avoid any potential chilling effect that disclosure of
this sensitive information may have on reporting and the ability of the City to
meet its federally mandated duty to investigate and respond to claims of
discrimination. The state legislature
has recognized the importance of keeping complaints of discrimination
confidential, see Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-83 (h), and the public policy reasons
underlying that law also apply to internal complaints filed within the City of
Hartford.
Attorney's at FOI actually had a different opinion when I contacted them for advice. They cited the case of Rocque vs FOI which applied to the City's denial. When Corporation Counsel was contacted and informed of this, they reconsidered and agreed to provide me with the complaints, with the complaining employees names redacted.
As you read the complaints, many of you will immediately realize the complaints and probably figure out the complainants yourself.
For what we pay for salaries, shouldn't our managers be able to understand and avoid any potential discrimination claims. The first one is a former employee of Mayor Segarra's office who was suddenly transferred to DPW and almost immediately encountered problems right away, including the discovery of pornography on her City computer
There are many more, but this should get you started , the first one is very detailed and will most likely be a problem for the City to defend
There are many more, but this should get you started , the first one is very detailed and will most likely be a problem for the City to defend
30 comments:
Tip of the Iceberg
There's more coming out. One of the reasons Kevin Burnham resigned before he got fired. He knew the shit was going to hit the fan about he and Rhonda Caroll and Stewart Isac he retired before he would have been fired for all the dirt that was at DPW
I just read all 299 pages of the first of those complaints and that is totally outrageous. The taxpayers should be fuming. It looks like The recent shakeup at DPW didn't go far enough because based on that well documented complaint, at least 2 more need to go. Shocking! I'm sure a huge portion of the problem was the old unattractive catty women who are basically unqualified for their positions were confronted by a young intelligent attractive female. The city should offer a settlement of giving this women the position she has demonstrated she can so capably handle and pay her retroactively to the time of her reassignment. Then they should make I.C. Report directly to her so she can learn a thing or two about management skills, professionalism and priorities. Of course that assuming they didn't take the hint above about I.C. Being one of the next 2 to go. Disgraceful!
Ms Cicero in DPW ( related to Rhonda DCarroll) is no bargain either......
What professional would even consider muttering the words: I'm sort of kind of like your master? Tony Matta is such a loser. India is also a piece of crap. Unfortunately, this has been an environment that fosters young, intelligent females to be seriously miss treated. I am sure that more will come out of this investigation. On a positive note, this behavior should stop. Otherwise there will need to be signs posted at city limits saying that the city cannot employ good, hard working people.Hartford taxpayers should really be concerned.
Kevin, I heard that Brian Ives, a DPW assistant superintendent was caught by HPD in Rhonda Carroll's car after the crash pulling out her personal belongings. Isn't that tampering with evidence? Should he have been arrested?
Tip of the Iceberg
As l read more about the dysfunction at DPW l now understand why people have departed so quickly. I still submit there is more in this pile of shit to be dug out. There is still the issue of preferential treatment of relatives of Rhonda Caroll there is still the issue of fraudulent time cards by Stewart Issac all this has not yet seem the light of day . Kevin Burnhamthe leader, Rhonda Caroll the orchestrator. Stewart Issac the delivery boy. Gone but not forgotten. More to come this circus just keeps on giving and giving.
Since Rhonda took Deputy Director job, her non biological niece, India Cicero got promoted at least 3 times, in two years!!!???- That goes to show the favoritism. Let's not just blame Rhonda, Kevin is also to blame because he allowed all these discrimination and favoritism take place, he was fully aware of it and did not care. What about Tony Matta??? He is a character, with his religious persona, he is a pervert! He is not saint, deep inside he is a wolf. India is a micro-manager; those that report to her will reveal it. She is a terrible person to work for. And all of this under the watch of Kevin so he is just as guilty as Rhonda, Tony and India. All OF THEM SHOULD GET FIRED!!!!
There are way more discrimination reports that have been file and were not disclosed: MY REPORT! I don't want money, I want justice.
Probably not a crime if you don't get caught
Dumbed Up! or Dumbed-Down!
How did India Cicero get the title "Senior Project Manager"?
How did I.C. get sooooo LUCKY? promoted at least 3 times in 2 years? Talk about upward mobility...
Kevin, every City Department has favoritism, I am so glad to be retired from one, I witness first hand the civilian employees over the years that worked at the fire department that rec'd upgrades for their jobs and really didn't deserve them, it would have been great if some of them worked for the position, but they didn't, but some how it was who you knew back then, and who's ass you kissed, and not how well you did your job, or even showed up to work on time, so DPW isn't the only department that had or has problems, believe me it's been going on for years and years in the City.
After reading the first complaint, I cannot help but wonder if the worker was asked to do billing but refused and, as a result, management came down hard and took away her other duties until she could finish the basic billing.
299 pages of clear cut information with documentation...and refusal to process bills was the problem.....Please go to your local library and look up your civil rights! There more discrimination and harassment here than we had in the south...
P.S. Tony and India no one believes you!!!!
Unless your friends with the mayor or friends with a dept head you will never get hired to work for the city of Hartford. I can't imagine how I see some HPD cops about 50-100 pounds over weight still working as a cop. How did they ever pass the academy.... oh thats right Hartford has its own academy and unlike the state police or other towns that send their recruits to actual academy's, Hartfords able to push through friends of pedro's at rapid pace
How come City Hall is the only place being investigated for discrimination. They also need to investigate Constitution Plaza since Kathleen Palm and Mike Peters are gone the City of Hartford has gone down hill as a place to work for. There is discrimination all through the city and every one seems to be turning a blind eye to it
it is not just City Hall, it is DPW, Fire, MHIS, Development Services . I will try to post all of the complaints over the weekend.
Okay, rob. The thing about Hpd is that once you graduate the academy there are no physical standards that must be maintained. That is when you see our guys start to pack on the pounds and start to resemble a blimp. With that said, our academy is brutal; only second to state police. Post in meriden is still a joke, comparatively speaking. I know, close personal friends from other agencies have described the ciriculum and pt. Also, there are standards that all officers throughout the state must pass to be certified, it's not something that can be brushed aside because they are friends with the right people at city hall. No academy is going to risk losing their certification because they were caught by post lying about a recruit's performance. I have watched certain officers almost fail to obtain their certification because they couldn't meet the bench press or running standards. As for when we get on the job... All I can say is that I refuse to get so out of shape that I cant fight or run when it really counts
Anonymous September 19, 2013 at 10:22 PM, you have to be India, Tony, Rhonda,Kevin or someone related to them... This is so crystal clear even a blind person can see the discrimination this person experienced... Please read the entire claim and open your eyes to reality. I respect your opinion, but very few people are able to share it due to the obvious... Thanks to supervisors like them, the City has to spend millions on claims that results in raising taxes for us, the residents that work hard to support the very basic. I hope this never happens to you, because I'm sure you will not think the same way.
This comment is dedicated to Ms. Evelyn Patterson, murdered by DPW.
I heard the new director seems to be a nice guy... but only his actions will determine that.
Hopefully things will change for the better now in that department, my husband, a DPW employee hopes that as well. BUT if India and Tony continue to supervise, no matter what the new director do, It will be difficult to accomplish any good results with these two on board disturbing everybody else.
I have never heard of Tony causing this kind of claims but INDIA, thanks to her Ms. Evelyn Patterson died, she caused her so much hostility and disrespect that that provoked a heart attack.
What is the City waiting for? someone else to die because of her actions? Another lawsuit? I know Evelyn in heavens must be the angel that she was on earth.
AGAIN, this comment is dedicated to EVELYN, India MUST GO before she provokes another death!
Kevin, do you know anything about "Evelyn Patterson"? This is huge- OMG! I applied for a job at DPW, forget it, I don't want it that bad. Poor person.
I knew Evelyn before I retired the City, she was something else, very particular. She already had some health issues, but what India did to her, pushed Evelyn to her death. I hope she (India) can live with that. This is the type of situation that don't have a solution,Evelyn is death and she's not coming back, but what about those still surviving, suffering under the India regime? India when you're reading this comment, I hope you can live with that. Karma is a BITCH!
Not to worry, it looks like India is on the righteous path.
No more late mornings work hours
No more 2 hour lunch breaks
No more employee bashing
It's a MIRACLE!!!
With all the money it's going to cost the City of Hartford, i.e.
"the taxpayers" their going to need one.
Kevin, I wish I could write a book on the 25 years or so that I worked for the City, I enjoyed my many years of working there, the many people I met, and the many friends over the years that came and went, most of all I enjoyed the work I did there, and did it well, the thing I can say is that I didn't enjoy the so called harassment that I rec'd while working at this department, you see as years went by, we acquired new management that came from other departments, they had no idea how this department worked, nor did they know or understand their job as well, but being a manager, they knew how to push their weight around, they took advantage of coming in late in the mornings, going out to lunch for over an hour, then come back to the office and have there lunch over at the table , eating their lunch, then after that go back to their desk, and make personal phone calls for another hour, and during all of this the rest of us came in early, took 1/2 hour or 1 hour lunch breaks, and right back to our desk, and continue our work, and guess what, since some of these managers had no idea what the work was about, we on the lower of the totem pole did the work, but never rec'd the pay ! I even witness some of these people staying after work hours sitting around bullshitting, and collecting comp.time and pay ! and this went on for years ! But I had my share of harassment, from being told that I couldn't set up my back doctor appointments a 1/2 hour before I left work for the day, even though I would work during my lunch hour, and come in earlier, I was once asked that after I had my first child, if I was planning on having another some time soon, but the list goes on and on, too long to list here, but like I said, there were some good days, and those are the times I will remember, not the bad, and this goes on in most departments, and it has been going on for many many years, and we are the souls that work the hardest, and make the least, and the same with our retirement package, but I believe in Karma, the so called management people, we watched you for years steal time and money from the City, and guess what ....pay back is a B***h !!!!!
I don't work for the city and I don't know any of these people. But I did read through the 299 page complaint. If this woman was suddenly transferred from the mayor's office (where you are usually hand picked by the mayor to work), she must not have been a very good employee. To me, that was a huge red flag, and rather than the Mayor dealing with her, he dumped her on another department and expected them to deal with her.
Remember, there's two sides to every story and the complaint only tells one side.
As for the other ones, they are childish complaints, not discrimination. Seriously, someone has to take the time and resources to investigate that someone said they were glad another person was laid off? That's harassment?
Mr. Annoyed,
DPW, Health, Police, Fire, Dev. Services, H.R., etc... After reading the first well documented complaint out of DPW, it's clear to me that this employee has professional qualities that intimidates management. As a tax paying resident in Hartford, I've dealt with some very incompetent employees working for the city. Our tax dollars are paying for employees who clearly has been given titles based on nepotism and not professionalism. The injustices will continues because there is no accountability by our appointed and elected leaders. As an employee of the city and a resident, I can't tell you how many cases that has been filed in HR and CHRO regarding the mistreatment of city employees under the Title VII act. After reading this blog, so many employees are anxious to provide you with any documentation you need, me included! We think its time to expose the acts of discrimination by city management against a specific class of employees. Finally, Dev. Services complaint is a big joke! I couldn't understand the complaint. It seems like a lot of hearsay. Grow up, stop running your mouth because people talk. If you get called out on something you said, expect confrontation. Anybody who knows Darlene, she does not bite her tongue or cause trouble. I've heard her mention the frustrations and challenges of African American woman and men working for the city. She, herself have made complaints to HR and CHRO about her dept. That complaint is childish and not worthy of my tax dollars if an investigation took place. Darlene don't let this mindless complaint interfere with your professional work ethics. Since we all know how it got started by that incompetent Anthony Arborio former inspector that received bribes. Hearsay: I hear he left a mess and is now working for the Town of Wethersfield causing a bigger mess!!
There are no two sides to the story in DPW... EVERYONE but the few "chosen ones" were seriously miss treated. Bottom line: when you promote incompetents these are the types of problems that you end up with. Let's get some positive leadership in there and everything else will fall into place. For those courageous individuals who maintained professionalism and refused to act in means that were inhumane and outwardly wrong, kudos to you. The city is lucky to have you and I hope my tax dollars are spent on your raises. God knows you deserve it.
I want to know why everyone thinks there is discrimination against one race or another. This is NOT discrimination this is BAD MANAGEMENT by BAD MANAGERS!!!! People are promoted without being trained to be managers and they cant handle the job they have been put into. The BAD MANAGEMENT comes from the top down. Segarra and SKB need to go!!!!
Hello September 21, 2013 at 4:24 PM
I can definitely understand your point of view, when you have not been exposed to the bureaucracy of working for the City of Hartford. You see it's not what you know but who. The Mayor hand selects his staff, some are competent and some are not. If you are not, the Mayor can and has let people go, this was not the case. This person was transferred because they were qualified, and very competent. This is clearly reflected in her documentation as well as the commitment to pursuing every avenue to address the issue. I applaud that....Who you know could also go quickly down hill and this is the case with India. She was promoted several times regardless of the qualifications or even experience. She was allowed to abuse and belittle many in her sights. This could have been corrected and never was. This is unacceptable, and regardless of how either of them got the bump-up, this should NOT be allowed.
I agree with 4:24 p.m., Like I mentioned before, I worked for the City for over 25 yrs, and I witness myself other co-workers, it's who you know, and who you kiss ass to, I witness co-workers rec'd upgrades in their jobs, and some of them didn't even deserve, when asked how they rec'd these positions, I was told to fill out this so called 13 to 18 page job description, but what I didn't know until years later, there was a short cut to this, and my so called co-workers kept this to themselves, they would only tell you about it after the so called "Budget" time, if there was monies in the budget, these co-workers knew when to go for the upgrades because the monies where allocated into each department, then after "Budget" time closed, you had to wait until the following year, and if you were quick enough to request your upgrade, but timing was everything, I witness in my department alone over the years about 10 to 15 upgrades within 5 employees, and most of them were COO's or management, the rest of us who where considered "Clerical Staff" well because some of us that didn't know the ins and outs, well there was no monies in the Budget, so over the years we missed out, and again, guess what these co=workers with there upgrades for no apparent reasons, walked out with nice retirements ! So in reality, it's who you know, and how you know the system !
There is no getting away from all of this why would anyone be surprised? The press covered the use of racist remarks made over the police radio by a Sergeant and dispatcher. Now we can see this problem is also present throughout many city departments. Is proper supervision of city employees too much to ask? Taxes go up, professionalism goes down. Number of discrimination complaints goes up. THANKS FOR KEEPING US INFORMED!!
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