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State employee fired over leak of Florida park development plans

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Published  September 3, 2024 5:43pm EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News

Former state parks employee talks about getting fired

Evan Axelbank reports

TAMPA, Fla. - A former Florida parks employee says he was fired for unveiling the plan to develop certain areas of state parks.

The man claiming to be the whistleblower, James Gaddis, says he lost his job on Friday, two days after the plans to build pickleball courses, lodges and even a golf course were put on hold, amidst a public outcry.

Protesters hold up signs at Honeymoon Island State Park.

The governor made clear last week in Polk County he wasn't happy with whoever leaked the plans to further develop state parks.

"A lot of that stuff was just half-baked, and it was not ready for prime time, and it was intentionally leaked out to a left-wing group to try to create a narrative," shared Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In an online post Monday, James Gaddis says he was fired from the state DEP's office of park planning three days before.

He says it happened after alerting the public to a "secret, fast-tracked plan" that he called "atrocious."

Calling himself a single dad with a side job, he said, "I knew that sounding the alarm was a risky move. However, I saw myself as a public servant first and felt that it was the only ethical thing to do."

He didn't say who he shared the plans with.

READ: Florida park plan opposition growing with protest at Honeymoon Island State Park

"I think that's going to continue to lead to more secrecy in some of these state agencies," said State Rep. Lindsay Cross (D-St. Petersburg).

Gaddis says he "was directed to create nine maps depicting shocking and destructive infrastructure proposals, while keeping quiet as they were pushed through an accelerated and under-the-radar public engagement process."

The state scheduled public meetings for Aug. 27, but they were canceled as public anger rose. The governor has said he was not aware of the plans.

"Here in the state of Florida, we operate in the sunshine and there are very clear rules that things need to be available for public to comment, that there needs to be adequate time to publicly notice things," said Cross.

A letter of termination from DEP deputy secretary Mara Gambineri to Gaddis says, "He intentionally released unauthorized and inaccurate information to the public. At least one document was created, authored and disseminated by you without direction or permission," and that he admitted doing so during work hours using department equipment.

The letter says "employees shall not bring discredit or embarrassment to the state."

"That somehow, the state park is going to become a big parking lot or something like that," DeSantis said last week. "That's obviously a phony narrative, and was never true to begin with. But enough, nothing has been approved, and they are going to go back and listen to folks."

The letter to Gaddis does not specify what information he released that the state considers inaccurate.

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