From the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press (2/18/09): Original notes taken by the investigator whose report led to the firing of nine county employees don't exist, a county official said Tuesday.
The News-Press filed an open records request asking for the notes North Carolina attorney Debra Ragin Jessup took when she interviewed 13 county employees about alleged racial harassment within the facilities management department.
Jessup, paid up to $5,000 with taxpayer money from the facilities management budget, produced a 13- page report that concluded nine men “… engaged in racially harassing behavior, resulting in a hostile work environment.”
Jessup interviewed four of the men who were fired, but failed to question the remaining five about the charges.
Several of the men interviewed said Jessup did not record the interviews, but took notes on a laptop.
Jessup, who couldn’t be reached after business hours Tuesday for comment, spelled four of the men’s names wrong in her report.
Deputy County Attorney Andrea Fraser said via e-mail that there was no need for jessup to preserve notes.
“Her notes were the report,” Fraser said. “You just make full sentences of what you have, saving it as the same document.”
Fired employee Jim Raimbeault said the county Human Resources Department told him the notes no longer existed when he requested them.
“Wouldn’t you want people to see those notes?” Raimbeault asked. “It’s amazing to me.”
Ed Fergason said he is not surprised.
“They just put out what they wanted out,” Fergason said.
The men said they are requesting hearings in front of a grievance committee.
Karl Harsh was one of the men fired but never interviewed by Jessup.
“The taxpayers paid for those (notes), and where are they?” Harsh asked. “We get terminated over hearsay and innuendo, it’s ridiculous.”
by Ryan Lengerich, Staff Writer