Inspectors reach settlement in retaliation case
Moreno Valley, CA spent $1.2 million dollars in a settlement after employees alleged that they were retaliated against for following the law and pursuing code cases. A former building official and code compliance manager each received $600,000 after allegedly being fired for carrying out code-enforcement actions involving building-code violations by a former councilman. http://www.pe.com/articles/city-760079-former-council.html
It’s important for an inspector to document attempts made to thwart him or her from carrying out official duties. Emails, letters, notes regarding witnesses, and summaries of conversations may be useful at a later time. Even if an inspector doesn’t get a written reply to an email regarding a sensitive matter, being able to show that there was an attempt by the inspector to get guidance from a supervisor or a response from a governmental official may be valuable. People often say dumb things in emails, never realizing that those types of communications are discoverable in a lawsuit.
