Suit claims abuse of
whistle-blowers

4 Kailua waste-water workers
contend their bosses harassed them

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By Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.com

Four city waste-water employees are suing the city and their supervisors at the Department of Environmental Services saying they were retaliated against for blowing the whistle on illegal activities.

Kenneth Mersburgh, Norman Salsedo, George A. Smith Jr. and Solomon Silva filed suit in Circuit Court yesterday and are seeking a jury trial.

The suit names former and current managers in the Department of Environmental Services, including Wayne Salas, former Director Kenneth Sprague, Harry Hauck, Jay Gonsalves, Ivan Hawkins and Nick Musico. City officials could not be reached for immediate comment.

The plaintiffs, former or current employees at the Kailua Wastewater Treatment Plant, contend they were harassed on the job after they objected to abuses involving overtime and employees being made to perform work at the homes of supervisors on city time and using city equipment.

City officials have said in the past they are trying to address problems at the Kailua plant, including reassigning defendant Musico, a top manager at another city waste-water plant, to the Kailua plant earlier this year.

Honolulu police, the city Ethics Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Office reportedly are also conducting separate investigations into alleged violations.