KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The city of Knoxville has closed the book on an ugly two-year chapter for its Fleet Services department with two whistleblowers out of a job, more than $300,000 spent on legal fees and settlements, and wild workplace accusations aired in investigative reports.
It started when two Fleet Service workers blew the whistle on their supervisor in late 2019, accusing him of taking a city truck across town to parks, businesses and motels unrelated to city business, sometimes with a woman. The men were suspended after revealing their findings to Knox News. The two ultimately sued the city after the suspensions dragged on.
The city, in turn, launched an investigation into whether the men were creating a hostile work environment. The investigation expanded into allegations that one or both men took home Fleet Services equipment, failed to complete assigned work, broke rules about using city-issued purchase cards and misused city-issued cell phones and computers. Fleet Services provides maintenance and repair for city vehicles.
The details of the city's investigation, which was halted when the settlement was reached, were made public in an report that stands out for the level of detail it offers considering no action was taken against the men over the allegations.
The Fleet Services workers, Rick Davis and Roger Rainey, brought their story to Knox News, they said, because they didn’t think city managers would handle their allegations appropriately.
The men's...
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