August 7, 2020

ROAD WORKER FIRED AFTER ‘RETARDATION’ COMMENT

HUNTSVILLE — An “abusive” traffic control person has been let go after a “horrified” mom complained he verbally assaulted her and inferred she and her adult son and grand-daughter were “retarded.”

Tina Kennett, says she received an apology from J.B. Enterprises, the contractor hired by the District of Muskoka to do the King William Street road project work in downtown Huntsville.

She told MuskokaTODAY.com that she was informed in an email dated yesterday from the construction company that after a workplace investigation the worker “has been terminated as a result of his unacceptable behaviour.”

Kennett, 52, says that on Tuesday Aug. 4 at 3:24 p.m. — “I’ll never forget the time” — she was in her car at the intersection of Cann and Chaffey streets when she says the Huntsville family was “abused,” she told MuskokaTODAY.com in a phone interview today.

She said she drove the wrong way “by accident,” blaming the flag person.

“He was not giving instructions or doing his, job,” she said in her original email.

“It ended in this employee taking a fit in the middle of the intersection calling us retarded for not knowing what we were doing. Calling us names and swearing when we went to travel the wrong way by accident, because this employee was not giving instruction.

“He then yelled out at us, ‘HEY, YOU NEED A SWEATER AND A BLANKET?’ — a reference Kennett took to be related to Autism.

She called the outburst “incredible” and “atrocious.”

Kennett said she doesn’t know how the worker knew her son, 34, has mental health issues and that the incident has traumatized him.

“He hasn’t been the same since.”

She say it’s been a problem with the worker for weeks, one she has endured and has heard others complain about during the July work now pretty well complete.

She said it’s “a sad story” that has been “a nightmare for me.

“This is the man whom is working for us, the people of Huntsville.

“YOU CAN NOT USE RETARDATION as a means of communication.”

She said he told her he “did not care,” and “do as I must,” as he said he doesn’t live in Huntsville.

“I’m horrified and will not be letting this go.”

Her original complaint to the company, she also felt, was unsympathetic.

She felt “dismissed” until she “got loud.”

But she’s satisfied now with the result and apology from Debi Garbutt a JB representative for the “regrettable situation.”

Kennett said her 10-year-old grand-daughter, she is helping raise, was also in the car and had to “witness the whole thing.”

“Please help me get this awareness out that this is not acceptable.”