Cleveland’s deputy public safety director could get her job back

CLEVELAND – A civil service hearing judge said Cleveland Deputy Safety Director Jakimah Dye should not have been fired after he crashed a city car with four children inside.

Hearing arbitrator Robert Lustig recommended that Dye be suspended for 30 days for violating civil service rules and city policy related to the use of a city vehicle.

“The dismissal penalty should be rejected because it is not supported by facts,” says Lustig’s report and recommendation. “Taking into account all relevant factors, including Ms. Dye’s impeccable 13-year history with the city, I would recommend a 30-day suspension.”

What happened

News 5 Investigators reported that Dye was leaving a basketball game on Saturday, February 17, when her town car, a 2015 Ford Taurus, “slid and struck the car in front of her” on Warrensville Center Road.

In Dye’s initial report on the accident, she failed to mention that four children were in the car with her, which the arbitrator said violated the city’s vehicle use policy.

The arbitrator’s report also states that when Dye met with city officials after the accident, there were only two children in the vehicle.

The arbitrator’s report said Karrie Howard, Cleveland’s former public safety director who was Dye’s boss at the time, testified that he gave her permission to transport two of the children in her town car to a basketball tournament that morning .

Howard later told reporters he was unaware there was a policy prohibiting out-of-town employees from being transported in city vehicles.

He resigned a few weeks later.

Cleveland’s deputy public safety director was fired Friday

READ MORE: Cleveland’s deputy public safety director has been fired

Dye was fired in April.

Cleveland’s answer

Cleveland officials said they would not follow referee Lustig’s recommendation.

News 5 obtained a copy of a letter to Dye from Acting Public Safety Director Nicole A. Carlton that says Dye’s “credibility has been irreparably damaged” because of her “lack of candor” about the crash and “rehiring.” “The second-highest official in the Ministry of Public Security is ill-advised.”

Dye has 10 days to notify the Civil Service Commission if she wishes to file a second appeal.

Dye’s answer

We contacted Dye’s attorney, Frank T. George.

When asked about a second appeal, he did not comment.

He sent us the following statement regarding the hearing arbitrator’s report and recommendation:

“An independent, neutral arbitrator reviewed the facts, statements and law and concluded that Ms. Dye should not be fired. We respect the arbitrator’s determination that termination is unreasonable. We also believe the City should act on his recommendation that Ms. Dye should not be fired. The dye is used again.