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

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

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. 

There is a buzz around Hartsfield Jackson Airport regarding the whereabouts of Deputy General Manager Jaimeka "Jai Ferrell".  She has not been seen since December 8 when she hosted an offsite Christmas party for her entire team paid for by the City of Atlanta. The General Manager Balram Bheodari has stated it was a temporary management change. There are rumblings that Jai Ferrell is scheduling meetings with her network trying to secure a new job to save face because "allegedly' due to her mismanagement she will be out of work soon. Jaimeka Ferrell started a Coffee and Conversations tour after she received a heads up that her termination was imminent based on an investigation. Is she misusing FMLA and will FMLA hours be donated to her to make sure she gets paid while searching frantically for a new job?  It would not be the first time FMLA has been misused by a City of Atlanta employee.   What will become of all of the "Ferrell" followers that she employs to