Detroit Department of Transportation Officials Face Fire for Shielding Employee Misconduct. A recent investigation by the Detroit Office of Inspector General found that senior officials failed to properly discipline employees who caused significant delays and broke department rules.
The misconduct, which occurred between Senior Transportation Service Inspector Andre Reece and bus driver Dayna Ruff, involved a 115-minute disruption of services on May 6, causing waste of city resources. The two employees repeatedly met along Ruff's route, resulting in additional delays. Despite the severity of the offense, Superintendent of Operations Howard Bragg III issued only five-day suspensions, far short of the recommended 30-day suspension.
Investigators found that top supervisors failed to conduct thorough investigations and ignored mandatory disciplinary procedures outlined in the department's employee handbook. The report also revealed that Reece and Ruff had failed to disclose their romantic relationship, which is required by a city executive order governing supervisor-subordinate relationships.
DDOT officials claim that human resources officials advised against discharge, citing procedural fairness concerns. However, the Office of Inspector General rejected these claims, stating that video evidence was available at the time and that mandatory penalties were ignored without justification.
The investigation found systemic problems within DDOT, with disciplinary practices failing to comply with department policies. This is particularly concerning in a city like Detroit, where residents rely heavily on DDOT buses for daily transportation.
In response to the report's findings, officials have vowed to implement reforms, including more oversight and transparency in the review and issuance of discipline. The Office of Inspector General has recommended additional disciplinary action against Reece and Ruff, as well as punishment for Bragg and Assistant Director of Operations Andre Mallett.
The Detroit Department of Transportation faces significant challenges in addressing employee misconduct and ensuring accountability within its operations division. As one-third of residents rely on DDOT buses to get to work, school, medical appointments, and childcare, disruptions of more than an hour can have far-reaching consequences for riders who already face chronic delays.
The misconduct, which occurred between Senior Transportation Service Inspector Andre Reece and bus driver Dayna Ruff, involved a 115-minute disruption of services on May 6, causing waste of city resources. The two employees repeatedly met along Ruff's route, resulting in additional delays. Despite the severity of the offense, Superintendent of Operations Howard Bragg III issued only five-day suspensions, far short of the recommended 30-day suspension.
Investigators found that top supervisors failed to conduct thorough investigations and ignored mandatory disciplinary procedures outlined in the department's employee handbook. The report also revealed that Reece and Ruff had failed to disclose their romantic relationship, which is required by a city executive order governing supervisor-subordinate relationships.
DDOT officials claim that human resources officials advised against discharge, citing procedural fairness concerns. However, the Office of Inspector General rejected these claims, stating that video evidence was available at the time and that mandatory penalties were ignored without justification.
The investigation found systemic problems within DDOT, with disciplinary practices failing to comply with department policies. This is particularly concerning in a city like Detroit, where residents rely heavily on DDOT buses for daily transportation.
In response to the report's findings, officials have vowed to implement reforms, including more oversight and transparency in the review and issuance of discipline. The Office of Inspector General has recommended additional disciplinary action against Reece and Ruff, as well as punishment for Bragg and Assistant Director of Operations Andre Mallett.
The Detroit Department of Transportation faces significant challenges in addressing employee misconduct and ensuring accountability within its operations division. As one-third of residents rely on DDOT buses to get to work, school, medical appointments, and childcare, disruptions of more than an hour can have far-reaching consequences for riders who already face chronic delays.
5-day suspensions? That's it? For a full 115-minute disruption in services? It's like they're not even taking the employee misconduct seriously. And what's with the lack of transparency from human resources? I'd think they'd want to know about all the video evidence that was available at the time... 
this whole thing is just whack 
and 5-day suspensions for two employees who basically shut down an entire bus route? that's just laughable 
what's next, probation for showing up on time? 
. It's not just about these two employees getting away with some pretty bad behavior, it's about the systemic problems that allowed them to operate without accountability for so long.
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. It's time for DDOT to take a hard look at its policies and procedures, and make some real changes to ensure that public safety and accountability are top priorities 
. First off, these senior officials are trying to sweep it under the rug by saying human resources officials advised against discharge. But what if that was just a cover story? What if they really didn't want Reece and Ruff to get canned because of their connections or something? 
. And what about all those systemic problems within DDOT? That sounds like a massive cover-up to me! 
. I'm all for reform and more oversight, but let's be real, we also need to hold these employees accountable for their actions 
. The city of Detroit deserves better! 
?! What's the point of even having a system if nobody's gonna follow it to the letter? 
. I hope they actually follow through on those reforms, or else it'll be a total disaster 
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. And what's up with not disciplinin' them harder 'cause they had a personal relationship that shouldn't exist between a supervisor and sub? It's just common sense, you know? 
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. and what about bragg & mallett, why no action against them too? 
. anywayz, gotta give props to the OIG for doin' their job & exposin' those systemic probs 
. anyone else think we should be more strict with our government officials? 
. The city's trust is what's getting wrecked here, not these two employees' careers. We need real accountability, not some watered-down nonsense about "procedural fairness" 
We'll just have to wait and see.
this is just unacceptable 
. and what really gets me is that it was all because of a romantic relationship between two employees 
. shouldn't they've been held accountable for their actions, not just because of their personal lives but also because of the impact it had on the public 
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. This investigation highlights systemic problems within DDOT and the need for more oversight and transparency in disciplinary practices 
. It's time to hold these officials accountable and ensure that public trust is restored