Details about the complaint filed by a former City of Crossville employee with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration have finally been released. The Crossville City Council halted a potential lawsuit on the matter by approving a settlement offer at a special-called meeting held on Nov. 7^th. According to information released to 1057 News by City Attorney William Ridley, the city was notified on Aug. 25^th, 2016 that an employee of the city’s Water Resources Dept. alleged discriminatory employment practices to TOSHA and alleged that they were terminated after filing safety concerns with management. The employee’s name has been withheld as per the Attorney General’s Office. Ridley’s reply to TOSHA was that the city did not receive the notice of complaint until after the employee was terminated. He also goes on to address the two safety complaints: that the employee was exposed to electrical hazards, mainly a leak inside of an electrical box and exposure to hazardous chemicals which was caustic soda and hypochlorite lines leaking in a chemical room. Ridley says that an investigation team headed by city Safety Coordinator Kevin Dean found that a representative from Miox replaced a part in the electrical box which had a tiny drip, and that the equipment was working as designed with no possibility of exposure to the leakage. As for the second complaint, an overhead line holding a bleach solution was examined by Water Resources supervisors and no leak was found. A few days later, a drip was located in a nearly inaccessible spot and repairs were then made. According to Ridley, both repairs were conducted before the notification from TOSHA. There was also mention made in the documentation of the employee being warned about wearing shorts and flip-flops to work as “not following dress code.” A second investigation was conducted by TOSHA Compliance Officer John Houghton who classified the case as a “merit case” which had to be forwarded to the State Attorney General. The AG then determined the case could be settled by granting the former employee back pay in the amount of $7,170.24, less taxes.

Pictured: Crossville Water Treatment Plant.