I-Team: New Cleveland safety official under fire also has city car
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The Fox 8 I-Team has found that a new City of Cleveland safety official has the use of a take-home city car, a benefit now under a spotlight after fallout from other top safety officials driving with kids in city cars.
The mayor’s office confirmed that Phillip McHugh was granted approval for a city vehicle.
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McHugh’s hiring has also been a flashpoint since he’s a former college roommate of Mayor Justin Bibb and was hired at $124,000 a year. City council members and others have raised questions about a civil rights lawsuit filed against him while working for Washington, D.C. Police.
Friday, the I-Team also revealed McHugh did not have to take a drug test or undergo a physical when he was hired in Cleveland.
The city approved the use of a take-home, or commuter, car for Phillip McHugh on March 13.
On Friday, the city fired Assistant Safety Director Jakimah Dye. That came weeks after the I-Team revealed she crashed a city car while driving with kids, against city policy.
Her boss, Safety Director Karrie Howard, resigned after he admitted he, too, had driven with a child in a city car.
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When the city hired Phillip McHugh, the Mayor’s Office said he would serve as special assistant to the chief of public safety for strategy.
Last week, the I-Team uncovered an internal email sent as the city hired McHugh.
The e-mail said, “Yes. No drug screen and no physical are necessary for his position.”
Since the job is a position at the top levels of city hall that oversees police, fire, and EMS, the memo that said no drug test or physical was needed stunned Councilman Richard Starr.
He said, “Someone who’s involved in handling safety, advising the safety director, don’t have to take a drug test? Why does an individual in senior leadership get a privilege, special privilege, that you don’t give to those on the ground doing the work?”
In fact, it surprised the head of the police union. Andy Gasiewski said this kind of testing just came up with the hiring of new officers.
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He said, “When they were doing the process for the recent academy, some of the individuals had to be taken out of the process because they didn’t have the medical side or the testing done.”
In an e-mail, the mayor’s office said drug testing is not required for McHugh’s particular job. The city changed its policy in December, telling us that was done based on state and federal law.
A spokesperson added that Phillip McHugh did have to go through a background check. And,
“Mr. McHugh was identified as the most qualified candidate for the role.”
Still, the councilman has more questions, especially with McHugh, a former roommate of the Mayor, and, once the target of a civil rights lawsuit.
The mayor’s office responded to that and said, “The administration is aware that Mr. McHugh was a party in a lawsuit stemming from a criminal investigation he conducted in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office nearly ten years ago in Washington, D.C. All claims made against Mr. McHugh were dismissed with prejudice prior to the disposition of the matter and there was no finding of wrongdoing by the court or Mr. McHugh’s former employer. Throughout his career, there has never been a sustained finding related to Mr. McHugh’s bias or integrity. “
Councilman Starr said he wants the city council to hold a hearing on this hiring and the city policies.
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