Two conscientious employees of the city subway derailed on time, repeatedly relaxing in the train, leaving the windshield shades on in pitch darkness, and alerting authorities to their illegal activities.
According to Monday's MTA Inspector General report, one MTA employee — Supervisor Romeo, whose job includes inspecting railroad tracks — had sex with a subordinate female “whistleblower” two to three times a week for about a year. It is said that they were having fun.
“While parked in her car, I asked her if they were intimate and she said they were physically involved.”
They touched each other in close proximity,” the agency said, without identifying the two men.
The two were working the night shift at DeKalb Station in Brooklyn. There, a supervisor regularly “assigned a track worker to plant the flag for him,” and she “served as his nightly guard to plant the flag.”
assigned roadbed duties,” the report said.
Following an anonymous tip, investigators conducted surveillance and observed the two riding together in a car outside the MTA workplace on five different occasions during work hours.
” [maintenance supervisor] A truck worker and a truck worker, in a parked car registered to the truck worker, on a quiet, secluded street, with a sunshade on the windshield (even at night), 1 They were observed together for about 3 hours each time, and for about an hour the second time. Others,” the report states.
On another occasion, investigators found that the two took one of their cars to a laundromat and spent about an hour and 20 minutes there.
After being questioned, the supervisor admitted that the track worker “had engaged in the following actions.”[his] They were both assigned to the Grand Central Terminal field office in 2013 and have been known as “best friends” ever since.
The two interacted outside of work, and “at one point had a romantic relationship and were very close,'' the source said. According to sources, the woman admitted that she had romantic feelings for the two.
The lovey-dovey duo violated numerous ethics and transportation labor regulations during their relationship, the IG's office found.
Track workers not on the tracks are expected to remain on site and await their next work assignment from DeKalb Station or other work sites.
Additionally, workers will not be using private cars to work on the tracks, but instead will be using the subway.
Additionally, if you leave work during working hours, you are required to do so.
The investigation concluded that the couple had received their full pay even though they had given up their shifts for hours.
“MTA supervisors are expected to lead by example and not teach their subordinates to break the rules and leave the job site with them while on duty,” said MTA IG Daniel Cote. said in a statement.
“This lawsuit should send a clear message that my office will relentlessly pursue unethical conduct and blatant mismanagement day and night,” Cote said.
This zealous action cost the couple tens of thousands of dollars.
Following an arbitration hearing, the track worker was suspended without pay from June to December 2024.
The maintenance supervisor was suspended in June and demoted in September without back pay.
“The MTA holds its employees to the highest standards, but these two employees should have known better,” said MTA President Joanna Flores.
“Lies and abuse of working hours are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Both employees were immediately terminated without pay and disciplined.”
