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Atlanta Goes Ahead with Firing of Arborist

Sorry I didn't post this article earlier, but it was only brought to my attention today. I'm impressed that the AJC got this story out more quickly than it did the one on Steve Cover's unexpected resignation.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution...

Atlanta Goes Ahead with Firing of Arborist
Coffin says other city employees didn’t follow tree ordinance

By ERIC STIRGUS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Atlanta officials said Tuesday they were justified in firing a senior arborist in July, despite his claims that other city arborists were lax in following the city’s tree ordinance.

City human resources officials – upon the request of Mayor Shirley Franklin – conducted an inquiry into Tom Coffin’s firing after receiving scores of telephone calls and e-mails from some tree preservationists, residents and City Hall critics who questioned why he was let go.

On Monday, the city’s human resources director wrote a letter to Coffin that said he was fired by the city’s Planning and Community Development department “as a result of an unwillingness or inability to work in a team environment.” The three-page letter says Coffin reinspected properties checked out by co-workers without his supervisor’s approval, unnecessarily issued “punitive citations” as the primary means of tree conservation and that he too frequently sought reprimands against his subordinates instead of trying to mentor them.

Coffin denied each of the findings and said he plans to sue the city for wrongful termination.

“It’s not a real surprise,” Coffin said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “The Human Resources department rubber-stamped a decision made by [Planning and Community Development Commissioner] Steve Cover.” ... more

Comments

Anonymous said…
Something smells here!
Tom Coffin--good guy White
Mayor Shirley Franklin 'Black"
Arborist Michical Franklin "Black
City Arborist Franklin gets suspended by Tom Coffin
(The) Coffin gets his lid nail sealed--fast boot out the door
Just could it be that the Franklins are related?
February 20, 2010 at 6:38 PM
DJ Anthony said…
I am almost positive that they are not related, but I will ask. However, I don't believe Tom's dismissal was racially motivated.
February 20, 2010 at 11:20 PM
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