The Chattanooga Housing Authority fired its director of asset management on Nov. 2, but no one will say why.
Bryant Lowery had worked for the housing authority since 1993 and earned $89,271 a year as of February 2009. The director of asset management oversees the management of public housing units.
His personnel records show he received generally positive reviews, but did not contain any explanation of his firing.
Lowery did not return messages seeking comment and could not be reached at his home Friday.
Housing Authority Executive Director Betsy McCright declined comment.
“We’re not making any comments on personnel matters,” she said. “We never have, and we don’t plan to start now.”
CHA board Chairman Eddie Holmes directed all questions to housing authority attorney Larry Cash, who also declined to comment Friday.
Board member Connie O’Neal said she thought Lowery had resigned and remembered McCright describing it as a personnel matter.
Board member Molly Cooper said she was “not at liberty” to comment on Lowery.
“I trust Betsy and the decisions that she makes,” Cooper said.
Board member Jim Steffes declined comment.
PDF: Separation notice
The housing authority employee handbook states employees can be terminated after one violation of authority policies, depending on the severity of the violation.
“Termination may be based on the culmination of a series of events for which previous corrective action has been attempted or a single event that is serious enough to warrant immediate termination,” the handbook says.
On Lowery’s employment forms, he lists Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor as his emergency contact. Taylor would not confirm Friday that he is Lowery’s attorney.
“I am an attorney,” Taylor said, noting his county contract allows him to handle private cases. “I’m not going to divulge anybody else’s affairs.”