ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An investigation into claims of racism and discrimination at Allentown City Hall could start in early 2024, with the city now soliciting bids for the probe.
City officials in December put out a request for proposals from investigative agencies, City Councilman Ed Zucal told LehighValleyNews.com.
Investigators will be tasked with examining all terminations and resignations within city government over the past two years.
“What some folks think they’re going to find, they're not going to find.'Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
They also will interview people who filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Human Relations Commission, or internal complaints, according to a bill Allentown City Council passed in October to authorize the investigation.
That bill gave investigators the power to subpoena information as they work to determine whether any employees violated Allentown’s personnel policies and/or local, state and federal workplace discrimination laws, Zucal has said.
Companies’ bids are scheduled to be opened Jan. 15, Zucal said.
He and fellow council members Ce-Ce Gerlach and Daryl Hendricks will work with Allentown's finance department to choose which company leads the investigation.
Mayor welcomes investigation
Officials will evaluate companies’ experience with municipal investigations, as well as the cost of their proposals, Zucal said.
“This isn't like your normal, private investigation,” Zucal said. “There's [many] different facets to this.”
The councilman said he hopes the investigation will get under way “within a month” of the city’s awarding of the contract and will last about half a year.
Council set aside funds in September for the investigation but didn't determine a specific amount.
Investigators will publish their findings in a report that will be made available to the public, Zucal said.
“Any individuals that are involved would be given a code number, so nobody would ever be mentioned by name,” he said.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk has said he welcomes the investigation.
“What some folks think they’re going to find, they're not going to find,” Tuerk said in October.
Another investigation
Residents had been demanding the investigation for months before council authorized it in October.
The Allentown NAACP in July released a letter detailing "a concerning number of complaints from Black and Brown employees” who work in city government.
Among the letter’s allegations are that some white Allentown police officers threatened to shoot their Black colleagues, who face racial slurs and are “continuously threatened.”
Employees of color reported being “verbally attacked” and undermined by white supervisors, while the letter also alleges “white managers rule out Black and Brown employees during promotions.”
“After careful consideration, the mayor decided to follow the recommendations."Allentown Communications Manager Genesis Ortega
Former Allentown human resources employee Karen Ocasio, whose allegations were among those included in the NAACP letter, repeatedly called for the investigation throughout summer and fall.
She was fired Nov. 20 by Tuerk, a move that prompted Zucal to call for a vote of no confidence against the mayor.
Council approved the no-confidence measure Dec. 6.
During that meeting, Allentown Communications Manager Genesis Ortega revealed another investigation at City Hall.
Ocasio was among three employees Tuerk fired in November after an 18-month investigation into the city’s human resources department, she told council.
Tuerk’s office in April 2022 hired “outside, independent counsel to investigate multiple complaints involving employees within the city’s human resources department,” Ortega said.
Investigators interviewed more than two dozen employees before recommending the termination of three workers, she said.
“After careful consideration, the mayor decided to follow the recommendations,” Ortega said.
