- April 26, 2024
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Flagler Schools' fleet services manager has received a reprimand for allegedly making demeaning comments to employees, according to the findings of an investigation by the district.
The manager, Michael Robinson, was the subject of four complaints: That he'd made inappropriate comments to employees, that he'd repeatedly asked to touch them or had touched them unnecessarily to wipe grease or dirt off of them, that he'd applied disparate standards for leave requests, and that he'd mismanaged the fleet services garage.
An investigation substantiated the complaints about Robinson using inappropriate language in comments to staff, but not the other complaints.
"This committee has determined it is necessary to issue this Summary of Verbal Reprimand/Warning for instances you used inappropriate language with employees," states an Aug. 28 "Summary of Verbal Reprimand/Warning" addressed to Robinson from Robert Ouellette, the district's coordinator for professional standards. "The Professional Standards Committee further notes that the allegations of misconduct regarding touching employees, approval of leave time requests and mismanagement of the fleet services garage are all unsubstantiated."
The investigation of Robinson, 56, began after the district received an anonymous email stating that Robinson mistreated employees and showed favoritism. The email also alleged that Robinson, who is black, made racist comments.
When the district asked for more detail, the anonymous writer said that Robinson "practices gestures and phrases that belittle and embarrass" employees and that Robinson had said to one employee, "Today I woke up and felt like slapping an Italian."
Several other staff members told investigators that they'd found Robinson's comments belittling and that he'd referred to gatherings of white employees as a "white panther meeting" or a klan meeting.
One employee said he did "recall Mr. Robinson saying he was going to 'hit me in the pee pee,'" a comment that had been the subject of complaints by other staff members. But, the staff member said, "We are both prior military and have heard this kind of 'joking' before and I don't take offense very easily."
Multiple staff members said they found Robinson's comments belittling, and one wrote in an email to the district that Robinson would berate staff members who shared concerns about working conditions, such as exhaust fumes getting into their offices.
"It is the expectation of the Professional Standards Committee that all future conversions with employees be professional and free of language that is inappropriate for the workplace," the reprimand summary states. "If you repeat the behavior that necessitated this Summary of Verbal Reprimand/Warning, or if there is another incident of unsatisfactory behavior or poor judgement on your part, disciplinary action may result."
