Former Dade County dispatcher sues county, claims discrimination

Alex Case, emergency management director in Dade County, discusses changes in ambulance service in Dade County in 2010.
Alex Case, emergency management director in Dade County, discusses changes in ambulance service in Dade County in 2010.

A former Dade County, Ga., 911 dispatcher is suing the county, claiming discrimination against her because of her disability, her age and her gender.

Debra Cureton filed a lawsuit in Dade County Superior Court on Sept. 14. She is demanding a jury trial, money in the form of damages and money that she lost in the form of income that she would have received had she never been fired.

According to her filing, Cureton began working as a Dade County dispatcher in March 1995. She worked her way up to assistant director. But in July 2011, Emergency Services Director Alex Case demoted her to a standard dispatcher.

Cureton said Case replaced her with Daniel Jones, a younger man who had never been a supervisor before.

The lawsuit alleges that Case "made it clear before [Cureton] was demoted that he wanted Jones to be hired. Case and Jones were friends outside of work."

photo Alex Case, emergency management director in Dade County, discusses changes in ambulance service in Dade County in 2010.

When Jones received the job, Cureton said, Case gave him fewer responsibilities than she had when she was the assistant director. She said Jones began to harass her and made a sexual comment to her. She said a younger female employee received better treatment.

The county has not yet responded to the complaint.

In the fall of 2013, Cureton wrote, a doctor diagnosed her with a sleeping disorder. The doctor gave her a note to show her bosses, explaining that she could no longer work the night shift. She said she asked County Executive Ted Rumley to move her to the day shift.

Instead, she said, two younger employees got the day shift. She continued to work nights.

She also alleges she had 300 hours of vacation time built up from her years with the county. But when she tried to take three days off, Case only let her take two days. And when she tried to take two days, Case only let her take one.

In her filing, she also alleges that Case lied to a county commissioner about her, supposedly telling the elected official that Cureton returned to work late from a lunch break. She said she never left the office for lunch. She also said Case told a commissioner she took confidential information from the office when she never did that.

Case said she was fired in September 2014 at age 53. Around the same time, two other dispatchers about her age were fired.

Last year, the county laid off or furloughed a total of 42 employees as a result of budget cuts after residents protested a potential property tax hike.

Contact staff writer Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6476.

Upcoming Events