In life, it’s rare to hear of people in the modern world who stay in the one job for many years. Today, people tend to change jobs on a regular basis as they try and find something short-term. When you give three decades to a job, though, you might expect that this will come with some kind of positive long-term benefit. Clarence Jackson had worked for the sanitation supervisory board in Bessemer City, North Carolina for over 30 years, but is now suing his former employers for wrongful termination.
Jackson was struck in the head by a piece of corrugated steel piping when he was supervising a team of prison inmates erecting a stop sign. This took place on August 6th, 2014, according to John H. Russell Jr., the attorney behind the lawsuit. Jackson then fell into a ditch and was left with a concussion, as well as a tear to his right rotator cuff and also injuries to his biceps tendon, his right knee and his spine.
Unable to work immediately after the incident had taken place, Jackson filed for workers’ compensation. However, on December 29th, 2015, he was fired. The city claims that Jackson had violated a dual employment policy, having worked with T & J’s Cleaning Service, an outdoor maintenance company that he owned, according to the lawsuit. The attorney for the City, David Smith, said that he does not typically comment on ongoing litigation cases.
The story so far
Jackson claims that, while he achieved ‘maximum improvement’ in both his shoulder and his knee, he still suffers from periodic back pains and post-concussive issues. This includes blurred vision, problems with his speech and headaches. Offered a “modified job” by James Inman, the City Manager, in September 2015, Jackson had to check with his neurologist and his attorney before acceptance could be provided.
He also disagrees that he was out cutting lawns for T & J’s, as alleged by Assistant City Manager Josh Ross. Jackson says that his injuries mean that manual labor was being delegated to other people. The lawsuit also claims that the city knew of his secondary employment, and that they had even hired his company in the past for pressure washing services.
Also, it’s alleged that local police forces were used to look into the situation, which is according to the lawsuit “an abuse of process and police power.”
According to the lawsuit, the city had “engaged its police force to interview outside witnesses and otherwise investigate the alleged violations of the personal conduct policy, policy against dual employment and/or allegations constitute the ‘problem’ asserted by Mr. Ross,”
More to come on this story as it develops.
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