An Austin Community College employee has sued the college in response to a reprimand handed him following comments he made before the ACC Board of Trustees.
Mark Goodrich, an ACC maintenance technician, voiced his disapproval of the administration's handling of Room 221, a room that has been subject to concern over mercury contamination since a 2003 lawsuit claimed faculty had been exposed to unsafe levels.
"I don't seem to see a change in the basic behavior of how people are treated here," said Goodrich before a visibly uneasy board at the Aug. 6 meeting.
Goodrich, former president and current representative of the ACC/American Federation of Teachers Local 6249 filed his lawsuit stating that the disciplinary action taken against him violates his right to free speech.
He was reprimanded for alarming other employees and the public during the "Citizen's Communication" at the Highland Business Center where he said he was a witness to, "a trend towards what I call unethical behavior by people in supervisory positions which the administration does not seem to hold accountable."
Goodrich claims that the alleged mercury contamination at Rio Grande Campus continues to pose a hazard.
The 2003 lawsuit stated that poor drainage from a science lab above the room was to blame for the hazard.
Though some faculty members remain skeptical that the college has taken the proper steps to eradicate concern, ACC attorney Cobby Caputo maintains the room has never posed a threat.
President Stephen Kinslow and Business Services Vice President Ben Ferrell were also named in the suit.
Calls to Kinslow's office were directed to attorney Caputo.
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