BERNE — Berne Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger has suspended one of his employees without pay one day after that employee spoke out against him to The Enterprise in a private conversation. The employee, Shawn Duncan, claims that it is an act of retaliation.
On July 22, Duncan, who has worked for the town for five years, spoke with The Enterprise over the phone about various concerns he had about Bashwinger’s leadership of the highway department, including one very serious allegation that The Enterprise has not yet been able to verify.
Duncan also alleged that Bashwinger had the highway department workers pose for a photo that he then posted on Facebook, where Bashwinger claimed — falsely, Duncan said — that he had the endorsements of all the employees as he seeks re-election this November…