City of Austin launches investigation over claims of misconduct involving civil rights officer

AUSTIN, Texas — In response to a report from KVUE’s information companions on the Austin American-Statesman, a brand new investigation has been launched over office complaints in opposition to the Metropolis of Austin’s civil rights officer.

The report states {that a} Metropolis-funded exterior investigation might be wanting into complaints from Carol Johnson’s workers that she locations “unrealistic calls for on their work efficiency and that she flouted COVID-19 security measures within the workplace.” She can be accused of retaliating in opposition to a minimum of one worker who could have filed a grievance in opposition to her.

The Statesman report states that that is the second time over the past two years an investigation has concerned her office conduct. After she had begun her job in Austin, a Portland regulation agency was additionally reviewing her time as the pinnacle of Oregon’s office civil rights division. In that case, she was accused of producing claims that confirmed she was subjected to racism and discrimination.

This week in a metropolis fee assembly, the pinnacle of the native municipal employees labor union claimed three workers had lately left Johnson’s workplace, one in all which was a current rent who had been employed for round two months.

The Statesman famous that a number of workers attended the assembly however Johnson was not in attendance.

The Austin Metropolis Council may take into account taking motion to place Johnson on go away as early as subsequent week.

The report states that Johnson inherited employees from Austin’s equal employment and honest housing workplace and that she mentioned she quickly acknowledged that she wanted to deal with “longstanding efficiency employees deficiencies.”

Metropolis broadcasts rent of Austin’s first civil rights officer

“To handle efficiency deficiencies, I’ve labored to make sure employees was geared up to achieve success of their investigative roles, together with the availability of coaching and technical help alternatives each in-house and with our federal companions,” Johnson informed the Statesman on Wednesday. “Employees stays resistant to those efforts. My makes an attempt to deal with present case processing deficiencies by employees have been met with formal complaints, together with my makes an attempt to supply extra alternatives for neighborhood members to entry the workplace which stays closed to the general public publish COVID have been met with important resistance. Employees has been vocal about their want for 100% telework.”

The Metropolis of Austin introduced Johnson’s appointment as the primary civil rights officer in January of 2021.

Her function contains the accountability of supporting division packages and initiatives associated to all six of the strategic outcomes outlined in Strategic Course 2023. She’s additionally in command of growing and monitoring a transparent imaginative and prescient for the workplace, advancing the Metropolis’s non-discrimination efforts and selling outreach, training and consciousness occasions for companies and neighborhood stakeholders. She additionally drives division packages for creating objectives, insurance policies and greatest practices that tackle racial fairness and inclusion throughout town. 

To learn the Statesman’s full report, click on right here.

Change to homestead exemption regulation inflicting confusion for some property house owners

Austin man who was arrested after automobile fatally ran over little one is out on bond

Austin household says provide chain points have precipitated the move-in date of their new house to be delayed 3 occasions