HART board votes to part ways with CEO following investigation into her conduct

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority's CEO is out of a job after the agency's board of directors voted Tuesday to part ways with Adelee Le Grand following an investigation into her conduct.

Le Grand, who had been suspended with pay in March, agreed to resign from her position. She'll receive about $88,000 in addition to the approximately $30,000 she'd already received during her suspension.

Both sides agreed on the buyout following nearly four hours of negotiating during HART's board of directors meeting.

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This comes after an investigation by an independent attorney, David Adams, who determined Le Grand created an environment of fear and intimidation, that her behavior has caused abnormal administrative turnover and that employees are afraid to speak up. Adams said Le Grand also mismanaged severance payouts to at least two former employees.

What seemed to bother the board the most, however, is that one of Le Grand's highest paid employees was double-dipping, working two jobs in transit authorities in Tampa and New Orleans. 

Although Le Grand denied knowing about the situation, Adams told the board emails show she either knew about it and lied or should have known what was happening. As a result, the board believed Le Grand may have violated HART policy and Florida law.

READ: HART to launch external investigation into CEO after allegations of a hostile workplace

"We all know that the residents of East Tampa desperate need a functioning bus service. We know that, and we're working towards that," said Joshua Wostal, a Hillsborough County commissioner who also sits on the HART board. "The person that was chosen to provide that and fix it did not do that and, in fact, did just the opposite."

Le Grand's attorney, Steven Wenzel, denied his client broke the law or the agency's guidelines and did not mismanage funds. He argued she was the eighth CEO in about a decade and was brought in to make difficult changes, which is exactly what she was doing.

"Did every board make eight bad hires or is there something fundamentally wrong with the organization that must be cured with management or legislation or the combination of both?" Wenzel said.

Scott Drainville is currently acting as HART's interim CEO. The agency is expected to conduct a search for its next boss.