Dwayne Morehead, who got a $48,500-a-year city job after volunteering in the mayoral campaign of Carty Finkbeiner and was fired last month, was disciplined or counseled 11 times during Jack Ford's administration, mostly for poor attendance.
Mr. Morehead's disciplinary record includes charges in 2003 of unexcused absences from work, gross insubordination, failure to observe a commissioner's directive, conduct unbecoming a city employee, violation of the city's residency requirement, and violation of sick leave.
In 2004, he was counseled over leaving the city ice rink in bad condition. In 2005, he was counseled three times for unexcused absences. The record contains no disciplinary actions for 2006 or 2007 until his transfer to BCR.
Emily Lewis, Mr. Morehead's attorney from Columbus, said she had not seen his personnel file but believes many of his absences should have been permitted under the Family and Medical Leave Act. His doctor submitted appropriate paperwork, but the administration refused to believe the doctor, she said.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/NEWS16/709110...
...I would have requested is a copy of the employee's personnel record. Even at the first step of the grievance procedure that information is valuable, and, as usually happened, when the discipliine went to the next step because management automatically denied the grievance that information would have to be in the grievance package or it couldn't be brought in to the process. I would think that a lawyer would be better trained than a steward in such procedures.
Morehead was a subpar employee before the election, yet afterwards he's given a new position and a big raise because he campaigned for Carty. However, the appointment blew up in Carty's face when Morehead didn't want to take a reassignment. Kind of like that guy a few months ago who got a city job despite his history of DUIs, then got popped at work for showing up drunk.
Here's a pointer for all potential mayors out there: Stop giving campaign workers cushy jobs after the election. You will save yourself embarassment in the future.
The only question that remains is whether or not Morehead was terminated when he should have been allowed to take FMLA leave. If he used the 12 workweeks between March and August like I remember reading in another article, he has no FMLA time left this year. Also, employers can force employees to use accrued time off in concurrence with their FMLA leave, meaning Morehead probably had no sick days or vacation days to use when he left work again on August 15th. He's probably SOL, although I'd bet on him continuing to try for a negotiated settlement.
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"When I say your dumb name, please stand up briefly, but then quickly drop to your knees and forsake all others before me." -Ignignokt
"I think you might have me confused with someone else."
Yes, Sarah, he has you confused with my daughter Sara.
"There was someone named sarah Czarlton also abused. Thought you might be her. I apologize for the mistake."
James, you were wrong to think that Sara would post a comment here on this subject. She is no longer working for Carl. She has had to start over from scratch in her career, but she is very happy and doing quite well.
Mr. Handbanana I miss you. Where are you?
Handbana,
I didn't read it the same way. You ever heard of padding a file? We don't know if what's in that file is true. You are assuming Mr. Morehead is not telling the truth, but we all know that Czarlton is suspected of lying every time he opens his mouth. Besides, The Toledoen of the Year Award Committee along with the Mayor nominated Mr. Morehead for the annual award and the Mayor quoted in the Toledo Blade that Mr. Morehead was an adequate worker. It wasn't until Mr. Morehead filed a complaint against the Administration with Civil Rights Commission that he was viewed as a personnel problem. Handbana, I want you to join me in complimenting Mr. Morehead for standing up for all us Americans and fighting some of the tyranny that plaques our society.
I am pleased she is doing well. I have met her and she is a super person.
Not that I"m defending the city administration in any way, shape, or form, but...
Don't you think its telling that (as you said) Carty was quoted as saying that he was an adequate worker? Usually I'd interpret "adequate" in that context as a polite way to try not to say that the person sucks. If a person is a good worker, you come right out and say it.
"I didn't read it the same way."
Of course you didn't, because it shifts some of the blame from the shoulders of Carty. How else do you read a report that stated Morehead was disiplined frequently, then was given a job (at quite a pay raise) by a mayor who he campaigned for? Here's a direct quote from the Blade article:
"Dwayne Morehead, who got a $48,500-a-year city job after volunteering in the mayoral campaign of Carty Finkbeiner and was fired last month, was disciplined or counseled 11 times during Jack Ford's administration, mostly for poor attendance."
How is it possible to interpret that sentence in any other way than Morehead was the beneficiary of cronyism? Did Morehead not take a promotion that roughly doubled his pay in the days after Carty's swearing in? Which one of the 18 days he was suspended for due to a multitude of infractions impressed you the most and made you think he was deserving of a promotion?
"You ever heard of padding a file? We don't know if what's in that file is true."
It's been two days and nothing has been said by Morehead or his lawyer about the accuracy of the personnel file. If the long list of infractions was falsified, don't you think he and/or his lawyer would be screaming about the discrepancies? Are we to believe that the same group that can't hold a golf outing without it resulting in resignations can pull off a forgery spanning several years without leaving behind evidence?
"Besides, The Toledoen of the Year Award Committee along with the Mayor nominated Mr. Morehead for the annual award and the Mayor quoted in the Toledo Blade that Mr. Morehead was an adequate worker."
Where did you hear that Morehead was nomiated for a Toledoan of the Year award by a committee? Because the Toledoan of the Year webpage doesn't have him listed as a nominee they selected for consideration.
And sarah is right, adequate is not a complement. Also, didn't you imply that Carty is a liar? If that's true, then how do we know he wasn't lying about Morehead being adequate? His employment record under the Ford Administration seems to suggest that Morehead wasn't even adequate.
"Handbana, I want you to join me in complimenting Mr. Morehead for standing up for all us Americans and fighting some of the tyranny that plaques our society."
I want a million dollars and a pony. Why in the name of all that is holy would I give kudos to a man who quite clearly benefitted from cronyism?
The more I think about this, the angrier I get. It's blatant political favoritism rearing it's ugly head yet again and you've bought in to Morehead and the Toledo Journal's spin about this case being about racism. What angers me the most is that the city probably has the right talent already on board, but they're not in positions where they can make a difference. Instead of promoting the best and brightest that work for the city, those who whore themselves out to a campaign are given cushy appointments. Unfortunately for us citizens, the best City of Toledo employees probably also have a moral compass that prevents them from becoming political sellouts.
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"When I say your dumb name, please stand up briefly, but then quickly drop to your knees and forsake all others before me." -Ignignokt
Every time Czarlton has opened his mouth to say something about the three plantiffs he's shown his true demeanor. There is nothing polite about Czarlton. When he said Mr. Morehead was adequate, it really meant that Mr. Morehead was stellar. Czarlton does not give any kind of recognition to minorities and women thats at the higher level it should be. I actually heard Czarlton verbally abuse a 60 year old black man who had open heart surgery just six weeks before because he wouldn't sprint 40 yards against him. It time people stop making excuses for Czarlton. All he is doing is making sure us tax payers are going to foot the bill for one huge lawsuit.
Sarah, I heard he dogged you also. Why are you defending him?
I Dont like the word adequate,especially after reading the article in the Blade, you cant be an adequate worker on one hand and nominated as a toledoan of the year canidate on the other. my grandmother was from the south and she had a saying that there's a dead fish on the line and it really smells fishy just like this whole situation, hopefully the ohio civil rights commission will bring the deordorant and come with a ruling soon.
Handbana, it seems like I struck a nerve with you and that's okay. I respect your opinion no matter how much I disagree with it. You mentioned that Mr. Morehead or his lawyer haven't challenged what was written in the Toledo Blade. Your question should be, why didn't the Toledo Blade print Mr. Morehead and his lawyer's response to the statements. As far as Mr. Morehead being nominated for Toledoen of the year Award, I have actually seen the letter from Carlton Finkbeiner congratulating Mr. Morehead for being nominated for Toledoen of the Year, signed by Carlton S. Finbeiner, Mayor, City of Toledo, dated April, 2007.
You also write about Toledo's best and brightest. Mr. Handbanna, Toledo's best and brightest don't want to be in Toledo and most of them don't live here anymore. Many times Toledo demonstrates it has a culture of crabs in a barrel. When one crab looks up and sees blue skies and tries to excel the other crabs will grab the legs of the escaping crab and drag it back to the bottom of the barrel. A good example is you Mr. Handbanana. Ever since I've been blogging on this site I have not read anything positive from you about anything. Mr. Morehead tried to excel and escape from the bottom of the barrel, but have no fear, you are here to grab him by the legs and pull him back to the bottom of the barrel. Obtaining a job most times is not about who is the best qualified. Its about who is the best fit for the job.
Again, I invite you to do something positive at least once. Join me in complimenting Mr. Morehead for standing up against the tyranny that is plaguing our community. I look forward to your support. Who knows, maybe you'll win a million dollars from the lottery and a pony will show up at your front door. Continuing to be negative won't give you the winning lottery ticket and you'll only find evidence that a pony or some other large animal may have visited your front door.
I think you might have me confused with someone else.
I doubt Carty is even aware of my existance - I'm not a public servant, just an average citizen. And I live in one of the 'burbs, not in the City of Toledo.
P.S. I don't like Carty either. Just pointing out the odd use of the word "adequate" in the news article.
There was someone named sarah Czarlton also abused. Thought you might be her. I apologize for the mistake.
"I doubt Carty is even aware of my existance - I'm not a public servant, just an average citizen. And I live in one of the 'burbs, not in the City of Toledo."
Oh no Sarah - he knows just who you are and where you live. He knows that about all of us. He has demons who tell him these things when theyre not out secretly shopping...