St. Johns County Administrator Michael David Wanchick allegedly:
1. Questioned women employees about what they ate, calling them overweight, threatening to "bring in a scale"
2. Mocked women's capabilities.
3. Had NO exit interview process re: possible discrimination/harassment/retaliation.
4. Had NO effective employee complaint process.
Wanchick denies making inappropriate comments.
The County says it hired an "independent" lawyer to investigate, but Michael Roper is a partner in a Florida Association of Counties insurance defense firm. Roper's incurious, incomplete report -- more legal brief or term paper -- lacks credibility.
No signed, videotaped witness statements. This is a PR-promoting coverup. For example, the "Roper report" opines that Wanchick's criticizing employee's weight is not illegal under federal or state civil rights laws. But Roper never mention that it's covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which forbids discrimination against people on the basis of "perceived disabilities."
No women sued. The issue isn't liability -- It's a lack of county moral leadership and basic management skills. Wanchick must be publicly reprimanded or fired.
Mr. Wanchick's alleged rough language and deeply humiliating treatment of women urgently demands a public hearing, with sworn testimony. Wanchick's contract was rushed through in January 2017. His evaluation is soon.
Is Wanchick an autocrat who daily does the bidding of developers? Are there others in local county and city governments? Are dictatorial developer-coddling bureaucrats, hostile toward employee and citizen concerns? "Frozen in the ice of its own indifference," as FDR said, quoting Dante? What's to be done?
St. Johns County residents, read more, rise up.
Let's raise our local school and government impact fees on developers and get the money up front.
Lets demand transparency, accountability, an Ombuds, Inspector General, police body cameras,lobbyist registration, developer investor disclosures, ethics reform.
Our governments must work for us, not dodgy, nature-destroying developers.
Now.
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