The ATL Report

The City of Atlanta's HR Commissioner Tarlesha Smith has been placed on administrative leave by Mayor Andre Dickens, effective immediately. Deputy Chief Commissioner Jason Ingram is leading the HR department during her absence. This announcement from Chief Operating Officer Lisa Benjamin (Gordon) comes at the heels of an explosive City Council meeting discussing her bullying and failure to provide funds to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport's Maintenance Employees.  This was the second time since March the employees had voiced their concerns over unfair treatment, sexual harassment, and compensation.  Airport Employees Attend City Council Meeting March   It is alleged Commissioner Smith had a pattern of meeting with maintenance employees the day before city council meetings and urging them not to attend. Another tactic was scheduling "mandatory" meetings during council meetings to deter attendance. Commissioner Smith also taunted the employees and urged them to record the mee

Hartsfield Jackson International Airport has officially launched Balram "B" Bheodari's I retired and wasn't fired campaign. Aviation publications/blogs are contacted, and stories are planted to portray leaders in a positive light by the airport's PR Team, similar practices are done with the AJC.  These stories are often shared with airport staff through mass emails to further control the narrative. Intelligent people are able to read between the lines and recognize that Bheodari was removed. In his most recent article sent to the Saporta Report he states  “I’m leaving on my own terms. That’s the bottom line,” Bheodari said. “I was not pushed out. I made my decision known to the mayor last year. ”   Bheodari Save Face Article   The article displays pictures that poorly support the narrative that he is retiring and leaving on his own. Ironically, Bheodari declared empathically in the same publication June 12, 2023, in the article titled " Unlike past revolving

  Atlanta Airport's toxic culture, wrongful terminations, non-merit raises/promotions could not take place without the guidance of Human Resources Director April M. Broaders.  AMB LinkedIN  For nearly five years April has conspired with leaders' to unjustly terminate, intimidate, and cause havoc throughout the Atlanta Airport.  Her bad behavior has been rewarded through multiple raises, and she continues to allow favored employees to abuse FMLA while she deploys Tom Dobberke to harasses employees who leaders deem are not a good fit based on their own petty perceptions and reasons.  TD LinkedIN    Tom Dobberke  April M. Broaders & Tom Dobberke were onsite last fall when Deputy General Manager Jaimeka Ferrell told one of her teams not to converse with "Communications" during a meeting. This was done to ostracize Assistant General Manager Elise Durham ED LinkedIN                                                                      Elise Durham and certain members of

ATLANTA - An Alabama woman says she wants answers after she claims her jeep was stolen while parked at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.   It was a rough landing for Cherylia Garrett as she returned from sunny Cancun earlier this week. "I'm devastated. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm very devastated," Cherylia Scott Garrett said. The Alabama resident was returning with her boyfriend and says she simply went to get her jeep from the south domestic parking deck. "I walked around, thought I was in the wrong place, and during walking around, approximately two hours," Garrett said.  They were certain the jeep was parked in section F23. Garrett says they tried pressing the emergency buttons for help but had no luck. They then called 911. Eventually, they went to the information desk. "We were telling the people we were looking for my auto and that we couldn't find it. At that time, we were told my auto had been stolen, and we were

    Assistant  General Manager Tyronia Morrison Smith, Esq. is a loyal "Ferrell Follower" . She was hired in December 2022, and her city of  Atlanta salary increased from $106,000 to $170,000.  Tyronia Salary     Smith had limited work related  experience and did not qualify for the Assistant General Manager role, Deputy General Manager Jai Ferrell instantly recognized that Tyronia Smith was a follower and would do whatever Jai Ferrell instructed without question. Tyronia Smith did not waste any time conforming to the shady practices for which Ferrell's followers are known. With Steve Mayers untimely departure, Assistant General Manager Elise Durham who has decades of Marketing and Communications experience and has led communications for former mayor Kesha Lance Bottoms should have been selected to oversee marketing, but of course she would not allegedly allow funds to be misappropriated and spent on lavish birthday parties, lunches, trips and décor. Smith's marketing

Crime in the city of Atlanta dropped in 2023. Mayor Andre Dickens and Chief Darin Schierbaum should be commended for their efforts to make Atlanta safe again.  But when it comes to the airport safety is severely compromised.  Deputy General Manager Jan Lennon What measures need to be put in place to make it a safe place to decrease the robberies, assaults, guns and trafficking? Deputy General Manager Jan Lennon has been briefed several times on the issues that plague the airport. She has yet to execute a strategic plan that outlines the necessary steps needed to enhance safety measures for employees, vendors, passengers and volunteers. Her concern is less about the safety and more about promotion. Jan Lennon has initiated a less than traditional promotional plan for her assistant Shermaine Freeman who has gone from assistant/secretary to assistant director and now "interim" airport director in less than a year. It is evident that the promotions come from "loyalty" a

  Jaimeka "Jai" Ferrell A previous post discussed Jaimeka "Jai" Ferrell being noticeably absent from Hartsfield Jackson for over one month. There are many stories floating around about her departure, however no official statement has been released. Reporters are allegedly instructed by Communications Manager Andy Gobeil prior to any press events not to inquire about Deputy General Manger Jaimeka Ferrell and to stick to the subject matter. Her updated website name change (from FlywithJai to JaiFerrell.com ) shows that she is distancing herself from her role at Hartsfield Jackson Airport which can be a clear indication that Jaimeka Ferrell is attempting to secure a new role and save face before imminent termination. There will be additional information on the "why" soon.  Outside of the City of Atlanta, where can you misuse FMLA while attempting to secure another job?  If the termination or corrective action was being initiated prior to FMLA then there is no

The abuse of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has increased at an alarming rate within the City of Atlanta.  FMLA abuse occurs when employees take undue time off by abusing the Family and Medical Leave Act rights. It is often challenging to end it because so many rules protect employee's right. The FMLA, or the Family and Medical Leave Act , may grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to specific staff members employed by the City of Atlanta annually.  Intermittent leave appears to be the main offender for the City of Atlanta's FMLA abuse. City employees who take intermittent leave sometimes stretch out their FMLA-eligible leave several times rather than taking it all at once and for one particular reason. Due to the complexity of the FMLA, many employers are reluctant to pursue employees, even when they are blatantly abusing their leave. The City of Atlanta's Issues: There is no minimum duration of time that employees are entitled to intermittent leave under FMLA Regulatio

  How did Hartsfield Jackson Airport get in its current state of mayhem and disarray? John Selden left and took a job out of the country that's why. John Selden ran the airport like a business, not a mom-and-pop hip hop shop. He is a decorated navy officer and commercial pilot who had experience in finance, rail access, customer service and maintenance security.  Based on his engaging presence and impressive accolades he was selected by a search committee led by top executives from UPS and Home Depot over Balram Bhoedori. John took reigns during tumultuous times when the Georgia Senate was studying a possible takeover. Perhaps the airport would be better if it was run by the state.  Can you guess who was the interim general manager prior to John accepting the role? Balram Bheodori was in charge and there were various issues and ongoing federal and FAA investigations under his leadership. He allowed the staff to use the airport's money as if it was their own personal checkbook.