Port of Seattle fires 12 over sexual content found on computers

The Port of Seattle has fired eight employees and four consultants for inappropriate computer use, including viewing sexually explicit photos, sexually oriented jokes and jokes about race, gender and national origin.

Seven other employees received varying forms of discipline, ranging from a week without pay to verbal reprimands, according to the Port, which announced the sanctions Friday.

Port police officers were embroiled in a scandal, starting in 2006, for sending e-mails the Port Commission called "sexually explicit, sexist and racist."

Ten officers received written reprimands. Commissioners also blasted the Police Department and senior Port managers for conducting a flawed investigation and handing down insufficient punishment.

No senior managers or police personnel were involved in Friday's announcement. All 15 employees worked for a survey team in the engineering department at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, said Port spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt.

Two were managers, including one with the Port for 40 years.

"This is especially disappointing, as we have been clear with staff about our expectations that employees read, understand and abide by the Port's policies," said Chief Executive Tay Yoshitani in a written statement.

The Port provided a 24-page sample of the offensive materials, sent over the last year.

It included a "Welfare Poem" with lines such as "We have hobby it's called breeding, welfare pay for baby feeding."

The sample also described a fake video ad for crotchless jeans and a video of a woman, with her chest exposed, doing a headstand.

Feels like scapegoat

One fired employees said she felt like a scapegoat. "I think we're all being used as an example because of what happened with the Police Department," said the employee.

The Times is not naming her or the others who were fired or disciplined because the Port has not provided the full investigation report.

While the employee acknowledged her government computer probably shouldn't have been used for some of the e-mails, she said no one complained about their content and no one was hurt by them.

She said she didn't consider any she received pornographic. "Pornography is wrong. But it's different than a joke that's found offensive. None of us would've ever done anything to hurt anybody, sexually, racially or otherwise."

Port supervisors were urged last year to make sure all employees understood the computer-use policies. An online anti-harassment-training program was also mandated.

Yoshitani sent an e-mail to employees last summer, saying he expected them to read and understand the Port's rules, including its "zero tolerance" for inappropriate material.

"As a manager, I can tell you that meant we sat down with staff members, passed the policies out and asked if people had any questions," Betancourt said.

The Port's policy says employees are supposed to report inappropriate e-mails to their supervisors.

Not in union

None of the 15 employees was a union member and none has appealed the sanctions, Betancourt said. "We'll have to see if any take legal action," she added.

The offensive materials were discovered inadvertently, Betancourt said, when Port computer technicians were looking to see how many hours a day one of the employees was using a computer.

"What they found was inappropriate materials being sent back and forth on the computer between team members. Some of it was sexually explicit photos, some was sexually oriented jokes, some was jokes referencing race, gender and national origin, and some was potty humor," she said.

Punishment was meted out on a "sliding scale," Betancourt said, depending on employees' participation in improper computer use.

"It was based on whether they were managers or not, did they receive an e-mail and forward it, forward it with comments," she said.

Commission President John Creighton said he did not see the offensive content but had it described to him. He said some of it was as "vile and disgusting" as the police e-mails.

"When setting a zero-tolerance policy, it is appropriate to hold people absolutely accountable" Creighton said.

"We're a public agency, and it is appropriate the public holds us to a higher standard."

Bob Young: 206-464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com