TAMPA, Fla. — Lack of effective leadership, poor organizational morale, and significant turnover.
That’s what attorney David Adams said he discovered in his months-long investigation of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) and its CEO, Adalee Le Grand when he presented his findings Monday.
“I believe Ms. Le Grand has created an environment of fear and intimidation,” Adams told the HART Board of Directors.
After hearing Adams’ findings, the board suspended Le Grand with pay. At a later date, Le Grand will have the chance to defend herself against Adams’ findings.
Adams was hired by the board in November to investigate HART after transit workers, represented by ATU Local 1593, called for Le Grand’s ouster.
According to Adams, during the course of his investigation, he interviewed 50 former and current employees, reviewed severance packages and personnel files, and interviewed Le Grand.
He said he found that HART, under Le Grand’s leadership, did not have a strategic plan, lost multiple members of its leadership team in a short period, and may have violated policies when one HART employee was improperly paid severance after she resigned. Another was discovered to be working for HART and another transit authority in New Orleans at the same time.
Additionally, he said Le Grand was demeaning and retaliatory to some of her employees. During his presentation, he read part of a resignation letter one former administrator sent to Le Grand last year.
“I tender my resignation due to the hostile work environment and toxic culture you have single-handedly created,” he read from the letter.
Le Grand’s attorney, Steven Wenzel, pushed back against the allegations.
“There is contrary evidence that is strong and persuasive,” he said.
However, he and Le Grand held off on offering a full-fledged defense in the Monday session. Wenzel said he would need time to review the report with his client. The two will return for a public hearing in May. At that time, Le Grand will respond to the allegations.
Though HART attorneys pushed board members to withhold any action until then, board members sought to suspend Le Grade with pay.
Le Grand agreed to the suspension. Scott Drainville, a current HART administrator, was appointed interim CEO.
“This was almost like something out of a movie,” Joshua Wostal, a Hillsborough County Commissioner and HART Board of Director told ABC Action News afterward. “That’s how bad today’s information reveal was.”
Wostal said he doesn’t know what Le Grand can say in May to convince him she should be reinstated as HART’s CEO.
“I just don’t know what could be supplied at this point to justify this type of pure negligence to the HART organization,” he said.
Wostal believes the scathing report gives Florida lawmakers more reason to dissolve HART, as is currently proposed in pending legislation.
“I hope that if any of them watch this, that they give us a chance,” he said.
“HART and it’s core staff — they provide a critical service to individuals in the county that really desperately depend on getting around, getting to their doctor's appointments, to the grocery store,” Wostal continued. “It really is a critical lifeline for a small percentage of the population. It must be restored.”
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