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Topic: How to forfeit the office of a Flint official
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Alex Harris and others have called for a forfeiture hearing on Mayor Weaver, The only City position I am aware of that the council successfully forfeited their position was Ombudsman Darryl Buchanan.

Deborah Milling was hired as the Ombudsman Office manager on July 25, 1984. Darryl Buchanan was named Ombudsman by City Council appointment and took office on August 19, 1994. Five months later, Milling filed a Civil Rights complaint against Darryl Buchanan (January 10, 1995)

She spoke to some City Council members due to concerns over what she called "job threatening" behaviors and threats he made of "undefined penalties" if he could prove she spoke to council.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:28 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Her complaint, based on retaliation, was only to be the first. On February15, 1995, Ann M Klinger of the Flint Finance, made complaint regarding a verbal confrontation she had with Buchanan on January 18th. (CC: Director Finance Marc Puckett, and City Clerk Louis Hawkins)


" I would like to make a formal complaint against the Ombudsman (Darryl Buchanan). On January 18, 1995 I was processing a payment request for Richard Dicks in the amount of $1,950.00. I Unfortunately, the first Professional Agreement ("PSA") we had on file only had a balance of $662.50. The PSA we had on file had NOT gone through Council, nor did it specify a total dollar amount. Therefore, we encumbered $2,000 (the maximum amount allowable) I called Debbie in the Ombudsman's Office and explained that we needed another PSA. She was very helpful and said she would take care of it.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 11:43 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Right after I finished speaking with her, Darryl called back in a RAGE and demanded that I explain what was going on. I attempted to explain to him what he City ordinance said regarding "Unique Services" but he didn't want to listen. Not only did he yell at me, but he was rude, impatient and and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise.He eventually hung up on me. Never before have I been treated so poorly by someone in his capacity. Furthermoe, I do not believe that someone in his position has the right to act the way he did when I was simply following standard practices that are based on what the City ordinance states. I don't want to make a big issue out of this, but I do feel that you needed to be made aware of this."

It is a good thing she documented the incident as Richard Dicks Sr. even placed notices in the CPSA Courier that the City was failing to pay him and he blamed Puckett.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:19 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

On April 17,1995 two complaints by City Maintenance worker Willie Woodward filed two complaints on Buchanan were forwarded by Gary Bates, Personnel & Labor Relations Director, after consultation with the ity Attorney to Clerk Louis Hawking and Councilman Johnnie Tucker.
The allegations:
A maintenance crew was in the Mayor's office preparing for the Mayor's press conference. Darryl Buchannan entered' and responded to a comment about his shoes. "These shoes are Ben Johnson and they cost $300 on sale. You would not know anything about that, said Buchanan as he looked at Willie Woodard, who was smiling. When Woodard inquired if Buchanan was addressing him, Buchanan replied: "Yes, you are so poor you Uncle Tom that I bet you don't have underwear on."

Buchanan continued that he did not have to go to Mississippi to see what an Uncle Tom looked like, I just look at you.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:52 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Buchanan was said to have continued, calling Woodard a "pathetic human being" and that he would never work on a case for him because he was a friend of Terry Bankert's. There were multiple witnesses. Buchanan also posted on the City's electronic billboard a message thatread "Willie Woodard was horse playing in the mayor's office and he, Darryl Buchanan can hang with best.
Terry Bankert, a former Ombudsman, represented Woodard in a lawsuit against the City of Flint on November 6, 1995. Buchanan was appealing his firing by City Council. Woodard said he was so humiliated and degraded, he had to seek medial attention and was paced on blood pressure medicine. City officials were negligent in their failure to investigate the incident.

Buchanan was also dealing with two lawsuits filed by 2 females in his office as well as the Appeal of his firing.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:07 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

On April 17,1995 a second female employee, Rose Fizer, wrote a complaint letter to Council President Johnnie Tucker and asked for the communication to be kept confidential as she feared retaliation.

"The prpose of this correspondence is to advise you of how unfair, rude, and unprofessional I have been treated at my place of employment with the Ombudsman's Office, City of Flint.
Her position had not been posted and Buchanan sought her out to give her the job. Initially part time as of December 19, 1994, she became full time on March 7, 1995. hen Buchanan began to "treat me very rudely and unprofessionally with the use of occasional profane language towards me."

"I have been unable to fulfill my job specifications as outlined in my contract because my specifications change from day to day.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:18 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Fizer detailed allegations of Buchanan creating a hostile work environment. Requests for her to be trained in other areas of the job would be suddenly halted in a rudee fashion and she would be ordered to "learn it on her own".

Fizer alleged Buchanan randomly selected employees to be "angry at" and for no apparent reason alienated them. Fizer believed Buchanan enjoyed the stress nd anxiety he created in the office. She described an ever increasing level of hostility as her good job evaluations became suspensions, at least once based on heresy.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:26 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Fizer had filed a disrimination harassment complaint with the Flint City Attorney's Office as well as a discrimination harassment complaint with the Michigan department of Civil Rights.

After these complaints, Buchanan issued her a lay off notice.

What is strange is how the majority of these complaints occur in March and April 1995.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:31 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

A Mt. Morris Township woman, Judy Irelan sent a letter to Flint City Council regarding the accidental death of her 13 year old son by a youn female driver. Depositions proved the officer coached the female driver on what to say and he assigned 100% of the blame on her son.

Not realizing the Ombudsman only tok Flint cases, her Bloomfield Hills attorney sent the files to the Ombudsman office where it became lost in Buchanan's office. She attempted to retrieve the file for two months and when she spoke to Buchanan she was startled on his rudeness. He called it an alleged file that probably did not exist. Irelan said she was not allowed to speak unless she called it an "alleged file" and then he told her there was no such file.

One hour later she was called and told the file was found. However, upon arriving all that was found was the letter from her attorney
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:42 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

"Very frustrated and don't know what to do.

I hope that you can help me. I don't understand what was the reason behind Mr. Buchanan's attitude toward me and what is this big secret about my file. First, it doesn't exist, and then I can come get it and now it's gone again. Please help me I on't want that file in the wrong hands. I almost feel like there's a conspiracy of some type."

This missing file came up in the lawsuits.
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:48 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

June 21, 1995

The City Attorney Karen Hughes sent an investigation summary packet in response to Sexual Harassment Allegations by Deborah Milling and Rose fizer against Darryl Buchanan to the Review Committee.

The review committee consisted of:

Helen Franz -Labor Relations Specialist
Matt Grady- Budget Director
Jim Hughes- 68th District Court Administrator
Sondra Rawls- Director of Human Relations Commission
Johnnie Tucker- City Council President
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:58 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Deborah Milling and Darryl Buchanan "were involved in a serious, committed, and sexually intimate relationship which began around July of 1990 and ended in February of 1992. After the relationship ended there was a series of rude and antagonistic remarks which worsened after Buchanan became Ombudsman.

Buchanan would only comment that he left because "it was time to end it". and gave no other reason. He stated he wanted his own personal secretary and he did not want that to be Milling. he offered her an investigator job which she refused.

Fizer described an incident where Buchanan demanded sex and told her the job offer depended on it., Buchanan denied the incident.

(00034 to 00036)
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 2:09 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

After reviewing the complaints and accompanying documents, the Review Committee sustained the women's allegations and found that "Darryl Buchanan had violated the City of F Flint's Policy Statement on Harassment and Discrimination in the workplace". (00210)

Deborah Milling Brief of factors supporting decision

Past history of working for 3 Ombudsman in a demanding environment since 1984, and recent evaluations indicates she was a good employee.

The reorganization was a sham

There exists no written reorganization plan

Staff uninformed and confused as to "reorganizaation" and current job duties
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 2:19 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

While Milling was being offered the investigator's position, and a claim was made that more investigators were needed, Burdette was being removed as an investigator and put in a data processing position.

At-will prerogative was not utilized

Milling's job duties, responsibilities and status were systematically reduced.

Milling was forced to share office space with Fizer while part-time employee (12 hours per week) utilized Fizer's former office

Only the females in office were subject to job interruptions and changes in duties
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 2:31 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

There were numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in Buchanan's statements and memos

There was an escalation of harassment after complaints were made.

Summary of factors supporting Rose Fizer's complaint

Received a very good recent evaluation

Repeated pattern of reducing job duties, responsibilities ans status

Fizer was forced to share a space with Milling when other space was available

Fizer's phone use was limited

unilateral changes in Fizer's job conditions
Post Sat Dec 10, 2016 2:54 pm 
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