Things didn't go so well for former Jackson Deputy Public Works Director Mary Carter in federal court yesterday when her former boss said she was lazy and refused to do her job. WLBT's Anthony Warren reported:
Ms. Hillman's testimony is no surprise as she has quite the reputation for being a straight-shooter and not putting up with any BS, as Mary Carter found out the hard way.Proceedings began Monday in a case that could determine whether a former City of Jackson water employee was fired for speaking out to WLBT.
Mary Carter is suing the city of Jackson for wrongful termination after she was let go just weeks after an interview with 3 On Your Side.
Carter’s attorneys painted their client as a whistleblower, telling jurors her firing was the direct result of the comments she made to the station....
Jordan Hillman was one of three people who testified on Monday.
Hillman fired Carter days after taking over as acting director of Public Works.
“It was just challenging to work around someone [who was] not on the same motivation scale. Everyone was trying to throw in and work on the problem, and you have someone else sitting in the corner just there,” she said. “From a morale standpoint, I just didn’t see what she had to offer.”
“We did not have time to deal with the dead weight.”...
Carter’s attorneys grilled Hillman on several points, including an email Carter sent to Hillman the morning she was relieved of duties.
According to that email, Carter said she had been kept in the dark during the crisis, had been locked out of meetings, and was only able to get information by asking “various people on-site.”
“Since neither of you know anything about water treatment, I would have assumed that I would have been more involved,” she wrote.
Hillman said meetings were open to all staffers, and Carter rarely, if ever, attended. Meanwhile, most information at the time was not “moving by email.”
“You had to get up out of a chair and come to operations, where in the trailer at that time,” she said. “Nothing was kept secret, but you’d have to actively pursue participating, and that was the challenge with Ms. Carter, who was not actively pursuing [solutions].”...
“Those were critical moments to talk about the plant... and I found Ms. Carter to be inactive with those things,” she added. “It was my experience with her that she took them as an outside threat and stayed more toward her office and near her trusted people, rather than embracing, ‘We’re in an emergency... should I come to the table and work with them.’” Rest of article.
24 comments:
a slug trying to live off the system-
What a challenge then for Hillman to work in an environment where she was sandwiched by dead weight.
Ms Carter you can fight and I hope you win if your employment was wrongfully terminated!
If you don’t, consider it as a blessing!
Seems very much on brand for many COJ "workers."
Can you begin to believe how much it costs taxpayers to process one of these non- meritorious cases through the federal court system.
You can look at that woman and tell she has never worked a day in her life. She may have shown up and sat in a chair for some years, but she has never really worked.
Todays new reason for leaving the capitol city.
Jordan for City Manager.
On another note, I believe to move to a City Management form of governing don't we need to start with 10,000 sigs on a petition?
Ms. Hillman has had to learn some things on the job. At times Ms. Hillman has been put in positions that she isn't really qualified for. Ms. Hillman does have some flaws (we all do).
But Ms. Hillman has a desire to learn, a desire to succeed, and wants to see the stuff fixed and improved. Ms. Hillman can be part of the solution, whereas Ms. Carter was simply part of the problem.
Kudos to Ms. Hillman. Jackson needs more like her. She's not perfect, but she wants to improve Jackson, and improve herself, every day.
@9:35 —
Thank you for sharing, Plaintiff Carter.
You mean she isn’t using the race card bc Jordan hill is white
Ms. Hillman does have some flaws (we all do).
I don't.
She sounds like she's just modeling Chalkline's behavior.
That's hardly a bad day. Do you really expect her to say she was a model employee and we terminated her after she spoke to the media? Can they prove any of the allegations re: her work ethic? Had she been previously counseled on her work ethic? Seems self-serving to say an employee was lazy which they were perfectly fine with until ironically, after she spoke to the media. Her testimony was expected but if true (also says a lot about the supervisor) should have been grounds for termination or some other punishment a long time ago.
Sorry but Ms. Carter should have been gone a long time ago!!! With respect to Ms. Jordan and Ted for that matter, they are not saviors. The saviors are the 150+ million George Washingtons!!! Thanks taxpayers!!!
Jordan Hillman is a top notch individual. She is smart and dedicated. That said, there is probably more to this story.
Good work at 11:29!
That’s the start of a solution to a problem. Bravo, and shame on the rest.
Ms Carter should have supported the new team with enthusiasm! Some employees lick their wounds when they are looked over and not elevated in position!
Ms Carter fight the battle if you were unjustly fired. Be careful who you talk to until this is over! You may loose the battle but just might win the war.
June 25, 2024 at 12:46 PM
We know you think highly of yourself Mr./Mrs. Lumumba
“Lazy and refused to do her job”? Sound like the perfect City of Jackson employee.
At least she showed up for work, unlike the multitude of "no show" employees.
I can relate.
I had to put up with the same crap at a well known State agency.
The most disgusting part, is the "powers that be" would never fire said slacker, for fear of a damn racial lawsuit.
I was hired once for a position and a person there was mad that I got the job and she didn’t. She told everyone that she was not happy about getting promoted. She neglected to let executive know she was interested and never applied. She believed she should have been just given the job. She was entitled to it.
(according to the link) ... "Lumumba bodyguards Hondo Lumumba and Marcus Williams were also present".
Wonder what kinda money 'Hondo' be makin'?
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