An investigation has revealed that an MTA computer specialist was suspended and two of her supervisors were fired for misconduct. The specialist was found to have been teaching classes during her regular working hours for four years while using the agency’s equipment. This included working as an adjunct professor, which led to the disciplinary action taken against her.
In October 2022, an investigation was launched into a computer specialist following complaints from a colleague. The complaints alleged that the specialist had made unauthorized phone calls and earned overtime pay while on overseas vacations, despite not being eligible for remote work. The investigation was conducted by the MTA Inspector General and confirmed the validity of the complaints.
During the investigation, it was discovered that the computer specialist had a second job as an adjunct professor. She taught both online and in person from Spring 2020 to Fall 2023. Interestingly, she taught most of these courses during her MTA work hours and even used her MTA-issued laptop for some of the classes.
Inspector General Daniel G. Cort expressed concern over the lack of supervision which allowed an employee to teach college classes during work hours without permission for a prolonged period.
The worker had kept her outside employment a secret from the three supervisors who were above her at the MTA worksite. Additionally, she had been utilizing MTA resources to carry out her outside job, without the knowledge of her supervisors. Moreover, during her lunch break, she had failed to swipe out of the timekeeping system, which also went unnoticed by the supervisors.
According to the Inspector General, two supervisors had instructed the employee to telework during her scheduled vacation time as they had failed to train a backup to take care of her responsibilities.
In mid-April, her initial supervisor, who was a former Deputy Chief Information Officer, and her second supervisor, who was a Deputy Chief Technology Officer, were terminated.
On June 25, the computer specialist was handed a 30-day unpaid suspension while their current supervisor, who is a product director for timekeeping and payroll, received a written warning.
Cort praised the MTA for holding every employee involved accountable as they all betrayed the public’s trust. “All of the employees involved breached the public trust, and I commend the MTA for holding them accountable,” Cort stated.
