WASHINGTON – A former District of
Columbia official brought in to help straighten out mismanagement at the
Department of Public Works is suing the city, claiming he was harassed,
intimidated and then fired for being white.
The former city worker says he was repeatedly called “cracker” and
“white boy” by black members of the department while in the presence of
other managers. On his last day on the job as a deputy fleet
administrator, Christopher Lyons said he found a sign on his door that
said, “Get Out White Boy!”
Lyons is suing the city for wrongful termination, claiming he was the
victim of racial discrimination. He also believes he was targeted
because he uncovered financial flaws and reported cover-ups. He’s suing
his former employers for back pay and then some.
“I am surprised [the racial discrimination] happened at this level of
government,” his lawyer Morris Fischer told FoxNews.com. “We’re all
Americans. We all have to treat each other the same, and we have to put
aside whatever differences we have.”
Lyons was hired on Jan. 17, 2012 as the first -- and at that time,
only -- white supervisor for DPW’s Fleet Management Administration. The
agency supports municipal operations by finding, fueling and maintaining
thousands of D.C. government vehicles.
At a mechanics and managers meeting in March 2012, Lyons claims he
was subjected to relentless name-calling. He was referred to regularly
as “white boy,” “cracker” and “big white guy” at meetings, he says.
Lyons also said his truck, which he parked in the secure DPW lot, was
spat on and damaged by his black colleagues. He claims they took turns
throwing paint and trash. When he brought up the incident, he claims the
same group of people filed false complaints against Lyons with their
union. Those claims, according to court documents, were found “without
merit.”
The taunts continued, and Lyons told Bill Howland, the longtime head
of the Department of Public Works. But instead of responding to the
concerns, court records claim Howland told several of the same workers
accused of harassing Lyons that he would fire Lyons. And then he
followed through.
On the day he was terminated, Lyons said he walked to his office door
and saw a number of derogatory signs written by supervisors and
mechanics, including one that said, “Get Out White Boy!”
Howland, who abruptly resigned from his position in June, also
allegedly refused to discipline the employees Lyon accused of harassing
him because Howland “liked them,” according to court records.
Howland was at his post for 11 years – a lifetime in D.C. terms – and
managed to survive four mayoral changes despite a long list of
controversial proposals including the 2014 rollout of Supercans, which
was initially pitched as a $9 million recycling campaign paid for by
earmarked money from the city’s retiree health fund.
Von Trimble, Lyons’ immediate supervisor who is black, also was
terminated. Asked about this, Lyons' attorney argued that he and Lyons
were close, and the other employees didn't like that. “We contend that
Howland was aware of that,” he said.
Fischer and Lyons claim another factor in the termination was Lyons'
reporting of mismanagement, including a case involving 100 missing
vehicles. The District last week convinced the D.C. Superior Court to
dismiss the whistleblower count due to a statute of limitations issue.
But Fischer argued that in doing so, the D.C. government "pretty much
conceded" there are issues to resolve on the racial discrimination
claims.
Officials with the D.C. attorney general and Department of Public
Works offices told FoxNews.com they could not comment on pending
litigation. However, spokeswoman Linda Grant says, "Department of Public
Works is committed to equal employment opportunity and ensuring all
employees are treated fairly."
Lyons says that, when asked why he was terminated in August 2012,
Howland told him his termination was “not performance related.”
He was only provided with a reason for his dismissal after he filed a
complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights. On Jan. 11, 2013, Lyons
received a statement that he was let go because his performance level
“fell far short of their targets.”
