The people responsible for fixing New Orleans’ streets, clearing storm drains and keeping the city moving say the problems inside the Department of Public Works go far deeper than potholes.
A city investigation obtained by WDSU Investigates confirms what many employees first told us last year: that harassment, retaliation and intimidation have taken root inside one of the city’s most essential departments, driving workers out and leaving critical services behind.
The report, conducted by the city’s Internal Audit Division, details a monthslong investigation into DPW’s Maintenance Division. It describes a workplace “defined by fear and retaliation,” where employee grievances were ignored or destroyed and where workers who spoke up faced punishment instead of protection…