HARRY SAPORTA - UPDATED

Originally published 5/22/2014

Harry Saporta

Executive Director of Safety and Security

$157,940.94 per 2013 W2

I was having a conversation with someone last Monday when Harry walked over so she introduced us. Personable. Love the smile. Nice firm hand shake. He appears to be someone who sleeps well. I gotta BIG resentment with him!  So there he was and being the Sag that I am, I seized the moment.

It had to do with THIS.

Back in '96, Clyde Earl was looking for ways to terminate me. He hired Private Detectives, former FBI Agents of all things, to follow me around. They came to my home and took a bag of trash from the dumpster, questioned co-workers, Supervisors, etc. They rode my bus, engaged me in conversations and followed the bus. Through their spying they found that I didn't do a walk around for damage when starting my shift.

So one day I got a call from Dispatch asking if I 'hit' anything. "No."  When I drove back around to N. Terminal I was relieved from duty and interviewed by a Supervisor. I was accused of "taking a mirror off a car" at SE 35th and Hawthorne. There was slight damage. Since the damage was near the rear of the Bus it's considered a 'blind accident', because from where we're sitting you can't hear or see it.  If it happened while I was driving, customers sitting back there woulda said something or even folks sitting at a nearby sidewalk cafe woulda let ya know.  

We were allowed 3 preventable accidents within an 18 month period. I had NONE! This accident, like all others before and after,  go through a 3 step process to determine if it was preventable or not. The First Amendment guarantees the right to redress our grievances through the appeal process. The accident review committee (a round table discussion) sent it back as preventable. Next step was the appeals which is the best investigative process of the 3 and the final step is the National Safety Council.  I wasn't allowed to go to the appeals. It was cancelled. As a result, Clyde Earl, Director of Transportation used the cancellation of my appeal to terminate my employment with the District stating I was a "PUBLIC ENDANGERMENT".  To reiterate, it was the first accident I was ever charged with, it was a $25.00 mirror and I wasn't allowed to participate in or complete the appeals process. My Constitutional rights had been violated. I was the first Operator in the history of Trimet to have been denied an appeal, then terminated as a result.

It was retaliation.  I sued in Federal District Court. Later, through discovery, it was revealed that Harry Saporta, Director of Safety signed the order denying my Constitutionally protected right to an appeal.

A year later after I came back,  I'd occasionally see him in the bullpen cafeteria. A couple times I walked up in that area where he was headed my way. He'd give me eye contact then quickly turn away and high tail it out of there. There's no doubt in my mind he knew who I was then and last Monday.

While we were talking last week, I introduced myself and reminded him of his part in my termination. He denied knowing my name, face recognition and the occasion. In fact, he started repeating the Federal law that says you cannot do what he did to me years before. I just wanted him to know the repercussions of what happened after he signed the order. I wanted him to hear it from me, the person who's life he affected. He was responsible for taking my livelihood away, illegally.  I wanted him to feel accountable if even for a second. So what ended up happening of course, is I felt all better for finally having the opportunity and he was left standing there seemingly oblivious as to what just happened. Perhaps he'll think about doing it again... perhaps if he's ordered and promised secrecy... he'll remember seeing this old lady's pained and 'thoroughly disgusted by your behavior's' face and know better than to risk another victim finding out and approaching him, even 17 years later.

***UPDATED - What I forgot to mention is the on-going retaliation factor.  Anyone who sues Trimet, wins and comes back is subjected to on-going retaliation.  It's like passing a recipe down from one generation to the next. It keeps on going regardless of who's moved on, up, retired out or new. 

In the last two years I emailed him he was e-mailed twice (see part II) regarding RSA (Request for Safety Assessment) problems, questions and a customer security /safety issue. He ignored my concerns. The safety/security issue was serious. The other safety issue is something we're all faced with but for someone making $154,600.00 a year as the Executive in charge of that department, the very least he could've done is respond.