Willie Smith wouldn’t declare that racial tensions have been purged entirely from Kennesaw's Public Works Department.
But he did say the work climate is now better, “like night and day” than it had been for most of his 16 years on the job.
“Whites Only” signs are no longer hung in the city’s public works restrooms. Hangman nooses aren’t draped from utility vehicles. City officials aren’t trading racially charged e-mails and images with department employees. Inflammatory epithets aren’t tossed at him or fellow minority employees.
Two years ago this month, Smith, another black employee and a former employee who is of Korean ancestry filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the city, naming Mayor Mark Mathews, then-City Council member John Dowdy and six others, including Smith’s boss, sanitation supervisor Tim Letner, and public works director Woody McFarlin as defendants.
The suit was settled out of court in judicial light-speed, just five months after it was filed, with the city and its insurance company paying a $1.8 million settlement. The city didn’t admit any wrongdoing despite agreeing to a settlement that cost the taxpayers $800,000.
Letner was fired and Smith is now the sanitation supervisor. McFarlin retired in the wake of the scandal. Dowdy, a popular council member who served for 10 years in elected office, resigned his post almost as soon as the suit was filed with two years left on his term.
Smith said that by the terms of the settlement, he can't talk about the case. But the department is moving forward in a positive way, he said.
In court papers, Smith said he was subjected to discrimination almost from his first day at work in 1995 and noticed that blacks and whites were treated differently.
He made formal complaints that received little or no action until he and fellow employee Stanley Mitchell and former employee Gary L. Redd filed their suit.
The three split a little more than $1 million of the settlement, after lawyer fees and court costs.
Mitchell and Redd couldn’t be reached for comment. But Smith said Mitchell is still with the city, working in the city’s roads division. Redd moved out of the county and is doing fine, Smith said.
Dowdy declined to speak specifically about the case. According to the lawsuit, he wrote and sent out racially disparaging e-mails, using racial slurs, stereotypes and threats of violence against minorities.
Dowdy, who was lauded when in office for helping set up the city’s tree ordinance and environmental committee, is now semi-retired, leaving the day-to-day operations of his company, Aardvark Sign & Decal, to his wife and daughter.
“I’m playing a lot of golf when I can,” he said, noting that in retirement, his game is getting worse. He also volunteers with the Kennesaw Cemetery Preservation Commission. He said he has no interest in running for public office again.
Mathews said the city has worked hard to assure there is no discrimination in any of the city’s departments. Mathews was later dropped as a defendant in the case, he said.
About seven months after the lawsuit was settled, another allegation of discrimination was raised at the city’s jail, which led to a jailer being disciplined and demoted.
Mathews could not recall any other racial complaints. He lauded the Public Works Department for changing the atmosphere.
“They’re really a cohesive bunch,” Mathews said. “They have cook-outs and picnics together on their time-off. I think everyone is really doing great.
“We try not to dwell on the past, but we’re not going to repeat it.”
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