TAMPA - Four employees in the city's Parking Division were fired Monday for sending inappropriate e-mails on city computers, officials said.
Darrell Smith, Mayor Pam Iorio's chief of staff, said the four had repeatedly sent e-mails and attachments with discriminatory references regarding sex, race and ethnicity, and with sexually explicit jokes and photographs.
"Our investigation revealed repeated violations of city policies with regard to sending e-mails and attachments that contained very inappropriate material," Smith said. "These were long-term repeated violations, not in the category of just one or two instances."
The four fired employees were parking operations superintendent Rick Benyo, a 22-year city employee; parking garage operations supervisor Robert Ryan, a nine-year employee; parking events coordinator James Dingman, an 18-year employee; and parking equipment maintenance supervisor Richard Pustelnik. City officials began investigating the employees April 15 after another city worker complained about the e-mails and other workplace issues. The four employees were then suspended without pay.
The investigation included an extensive review of the four employees' e-mail files since January 2003, city officials said.
City administrators said the four employees also sent e-mails with inappropriate references to subordinate employees and co-workers.
Smith said the e-mails amounted to a pattern of unacceptable behavior that could have created a hostile working environment.
"We take these findings very seriously," Smith said.
The employees have 10 business days to appeal to the Tampa Civil Service Board.
