City staffer alleges retaliation after testifying against supervisor

A Department of Design and Construction worker and the union that represents him are alleging that he and other colleagues were being retaliated against for testifying against a superior who made them run personal errands. DDC officials have vehemently denied the claims.

The motor vehicle operator, who wished to remain anonymous to prevent further retaliation, works in the mailroom at the DDC’s Long Island City headquarters. He alleged that Dwehline Harris, DDC’s chief of staff, made workers transport personal packages from her house to DDC’s mailroom from 2018 until 2022. He said that although he personally did not go to Harris’ house to retrieve packages, another mailroom employee did.

“Boxes were coming in several times a week, dozens of boxes at a time,” the staffer said during a recent phone interview. He said that he didn’t know what the packages contained, but noted that Harris allegedly had the workers replace the stamps on the packages with stamps from the agency. Some of the large boxes cost over $100 to ship, the staffer said.

He said that another employee in the mailroom contacted city investigators in 2021 about the chief of staff’s alleged violation of the city’s conflicts of interest law. The law states that city employees may not use city “personnel, equipment, supplies, or resources for a non-City purpose.”

DDC stated that a probe by the city Department of Investigation was focused on just two alleged mailings during a short period of time, not dozens of packages being retrieved over years. The agency also said that the prior investigation “found no evidence” of any workers picking up the two packages from Harris' house.

The anonymous worker said that he was contacted by investigators from the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board in November about the matter. “Two of our members were subpoenaed by COIB. When [the chief of staff] found out about the subpoena, she said to one of the members, ‘If you don’t lie, there will be retaliation,” said Donald Chapman, recording secretary and grievance representative at District Council 37's Local 983.

The COIB investigation is still pending, according to both the union and DDC. A COIB spokesperson did not confirm details of the probe, citing city laws stating that investigations of alleged violations of the conflicts of interest law are confidential.

'I don't feel safe'

The worker said that although he wasn’t the one who tipped off investigators, there have been rumors in the office that it was him, which created a hostile work environment for him. Chapman claimed that the two workers have been subjected to dirty looks, and the employee alleged that Harris began reprimanding him for doing things he hadn’t done, such as answering the phone rudely. 

The staffer alleged that other managers have been in on the mistreatment, and he has heard comments from superiors that they “can fire anybody here after March 28,” referring to the date of the COIB hearing.

“I just don’t feel safe here,” the staffer said. “I feel like my job is up for grabs.”

DDC stated that when it was made aware of claims of a hostile work environment, its legal department reached out to the union and COIB for more details, but hasn’t yet heard any specific claims.

The worker also alleged that during the COIB hearing, Harris was “basically trying to implicate” the workers by saying that “we changed the postage [of our own accord].” Although he felt pressured to lie at the hearing, “I was just there to tell the truth,” the anonymous worker said.

The DDC noted that Harris has worked at the agency for 23 years, and emphasized that the two workers who testified at the COIB hearing were not directly under her supervision. But the anonymous worker disputed that, noting that Harris was his “direct supervisor.” The agency also said it has conducted its own investigation “into any alleged impropriety tied to this case.”

“DDC takes any allegations of a hostile work environment very seriously. We cannot comment formally on the COIB case as it remains active,” a DDC spokesperson said.

The worker said that Harris’ behavior amounted to “an abuse of power.”

“As chief of staff, she’s responsible for hiring and firing, and I think the lack of integrity to try to blame one of your staff is bothersome to me,” he said.

clewis@thechiefleader.com