HAINES CITY, Fla. - Haines City has agreed to pay more than half-a-million dollars to a former employee who filed a whistleblower complaint.
The complaint alleges retaliation, discrimination and harassment by the city as well as by former Mayor Anne Huffman, who is now a city commissioner.
The backstory:
Erica Anderson worked as a deputy city clerk in Haines City in 2017 and was promoted to city clerk in 2020.
According to the federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida in Tampa, then Mayor Huffman made numerous racially derogatory and discriminatory comments to her, including telling her she should stop wearing "Aunt Jemima Braids" and referred to her as "unbecoming" based on her appearance.
Anderson said Huffman told her "she did not act black enough" or talk black enough, which wouldn't be accepted by certain city neighborhoods.
In Spring 2022, Anderson claims Huffman targeted her for misusing city credit cards, which she was cleared by the city of any wrongdoing. Despite being cleared, she was mocked and taunted by Huffman in public meetings.
Anderson filed a whistleblower complaint with the city in May 2022 and claims Huffman retaliated against her immediately afterward and harassed her for reporting the alleged misconduct.
Anderson took FMLA leave because of a serious health condition she developed from the hostile work environment. While on FMLA, the city demoted Anderson and when she returned to work, she...
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