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Lawsuit against St. Pete alleges racial motivation in water official's departure

 
Dwight Wilson was the highest-ranking black official in St. Petersburg's Water Resources Department when his job was eliminated in 2016. [City of St. Petersburg]
Dwight Wilson was the highest-ranking black official in St. Petersburg's Water Resources Department when his job was eliminated in 2016. [City of St. Petersburg]
Published June 20, 2018

ST. PETERSBURG — A former top ranking official in the city's Water Resources Department is suing the city over his departure, claiming it was racially motivated.

Dwight Wilson, the department's former assistant director, says in the June 12 lawsuit that he had been facing racial discrimination for years and gave the department notice that he had filed a report with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After that, the lawsuit says, his position was eliminated and he was terminated.

Wilson, a 51-year-old African-American, served as assistant director with the department for 10 years and as interim director on a number of occasions. His applications to become permanent director through the years were denied and the position went to white men instead, according to the lawsuit.

RELATED: Amid sewage crisis, St. Petersburg department must also deal with racial tension

In addition, the lawsuit says, subordinates often resisted his direction because they didn't like a black man telling them what to do.

"He was one of, if not the, highest ranking African-American employees," Wilson's attorney Gary Printy Jr., told the Tampa Bay Times. "I think that was part of his role there was to push back on some of the long-held practices."

City spokesman Ben Kirby declined to answer questions about the lawsuit, saying the city does not comment on pending legal matters.

Wilson filed the EEOC complaint against the city after learning that Steve Leavitt, former director of the Water Resource Department, would be retiring and that Wilson would not be considered for the job. Four days later, Leavitt announced Wilson's position would be eliminated because of restructuring and Wilson would be terminated, the lawsuit says.

"Although the termination was characterized as a restructuring, Wilson says the facts show his firing was retaliatory. He seeks damages for racial discrimination and retaliation," the lawsuit states.

Wilson is seeking reinstatement within the department and back pay, Printy said.

Wilson's departure angered many workers in water resources who believed he was one of the few officials trying to improve conditions in a sector of city government that has long been divided by race and plagued by dysfunction.

Wilson left the department after his $119,887 job was eliminated. His last day on the city payroll was in September.

That means one of the city's highest-ranking water resources officials was sidelined as a water sewage crisis peaked in August 2016 and the city released 200 million gallons of sewage.

RELATED: St. Pete sewage crisis ends with no charges, $326 million bill

Times staff writers Caitlin Johnston and Charlie Frago contributed to this report.