Ogden Highway Superintendent Dan Wolf faced numerous allegations: documents

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

23 5 minutes read

Ogden's elected highway superintendent repeatedly used a racial epithet, engaged in sexual harassment against female workers and pushed questionable public works projects to benefit developers and his friends, multiple employees alleged from the city.

The allegations, detailed in an independent investigation commissioned by the city, paint Highway Superintendent Dan Wolf as a man prone to racism, sexism, mockery of people with disabilities and workplace volatility.

He allegedly used the n-word several times, including in reference to current Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and former Mayor Lovely Warren. He reportedly declared, after seeing a television report on the racist massacre of 10 black people in Buffalo in 2022, that “niggaz were ruining this city.”

He allegedly used sexist terms to talk about the physical appearance of his colleagues' wives and girlfriends. He allegedly angrily pushed a subordinate onto a busy road. He allegedly made fun of the disability – multiple sclerosis – of another subordinate's brother.

Wolf denied almost all of the allegations, including the use of racist and sexist slurs in the workplace, in interviews with local attorney Karlee Bolaños, who was hired by the city to undertake the independent investigation. He described some of his employees as individuals with lingering grudges against him and others as unreliable or sometimes lazy at work.

Wolf also provided what he sees as explanations for the many projects called into question amid allegations of favoritism. Wolf previously led the Ogden Republican Committee; there are allegations that he did a favor to his political allies.

Bolaños recommended that the city pursue further investigation into the favoritism allegations. Records show the city sent the findings to the state attorney general's office, which chose not to investigate.

Bolaños' report was obtained by the Democrat and Chronicle through freedom of information laws on access to public records, as were the multitude of complaints against Wolf.

Dan Wolf faces restrictions on interactions with Ogden Highway employees

The Democrat and Chronicle reported last month that the city had placed Wolf under an unusual disciplinary work program, which prohibits him from meeting with almost any employee under his supervision without another city employee present. The city determined it could not remove Wolf because he is an elected official.

As the Democrat and Chronicle reported last month, removing an elected highway superintendent, unless there are criminal charges, may require a civil action in state court.

Town Supervisor Mike Zale declined to comment this week on Wolf and the town report, saying he could not comment on personnel matters.

Wolf did not respond to office messages or text messages this week. He had previously refused to comment on the allegations.

The Democrat and Chronicle also contacted union representatives for the city's public works employees and they, too, declined to comment.

The report shows that Wolf said the complaints were partly sparked by resentment from a worker he had criticized for poor performance. For his part, the worker, whose name is redacted in the report, said Wolf's behavior toward him constituted retaliation for his union activities and his defense of employees' interests.

Several Ogden Highway employees cited use of racist, sexist and other slurs

According to the report, there have been more than 20 complaints from city employees and several union grievances against Wolf.

Wolf was elected to the superintendent position in 2020. The complaints date back to 2019, when Wolf held the position on an interim basis.

The complaints were so numerous and so varied in nature that Bolaños, at one point in the report, organized some of them into a sort of graphic to better illustrate their nature and the evidence of Wolf's misconduct.

For example, she highlighted 11 instances in which Wolf allegedly used racist terms. She reported that at least 10 current or former city employees saw him using racial slurs. A similar number of current or former workers said they saw him make offensive remarks about people with disabilities.

In one allegation, he is accused of saying over a two-way radio: “Hire the disabled.” They are fun to watch.

Wolf also allegedly accessed the workers' confidential medical status and then disclosed the information.

“More than 5 but fewer than 10” current and past employees reported seeing Wolf make sexist or gender-related slurs, sometimes with sexist comments toward female co-workers and sometimes comments to city employees about “appearance physical and/or sexual activities of the employee. wives, girlfriends and/or mothers of employees,” the report said.

Wolf has denied allegations of sexism and racism and disability-related slurs. He admitted to using the term “n—-r rigging,” saying it was a common term for taking shortcuts.

Wolf is also accused of using city and personal social media accounts to mock employees. Current restrictions at his workplace also prohibit him from accessing the city's social media accounts.

City of Ogden employee 'felt sexualized' over highway superintendent's comments

Some workers alleged that Wolf would use physical force against them. In June 2021, a city employee complained that Wolf became angry with him at a road construction site for what Wolf considered “inappropriate reporting.” Wolf allegedly yelled at the man, then pushed him with his chest into the street toward oncoming traffic.

City human resources staff issued a warning to Wolf after the incident, ruling that he had acted “inappropriately” and that his conduct demonstrated “unacceptable behavior.”

Bolaños' report says Wolf's allegations of misconduct appear to have intensified in the last year. The city put Wolf on the work plan in January.

Among the 2023 allegations is one from an employee who said she did not first report Wolf's sexual harassment or confront him about it.

Wolf made sexual comments about her at work and once in front of a city council member, she claimed. The woman said she “was terribly upset by this encounter with Wolf and felt sexualized in front of her superiors.”

She “described her disappointment at not being more assertive toward Wolf, but she expressed fear toward him,” the report said. Wolf has denied the allegations.

Fear of reprisal or reprisal from him is common throughout the report.

In his interview with Bolaños, Wolf said his employees sometimes didn't know when he was joking. For example, he said, he told a relatively new worker to “sweep the salt barn” as a joke and was surprised when 10 minutes later he saw the man doing just that.

Asked about allegations that he assigned employees unnecessary work or manual labor when equipment could be used, Wolf said he “assigns certain work to employees not in retaliation, but because their poor performance slows progress in a job.”

Ogden Highway Superintendent Allegedly Obstructed Police Investigation into Relative

In 2022, according to the report, someone close to Wolf was suspected of destroying property while driving drunk. The individual left the scene of the accident and allegedly “hid from (Ogden) police with Wolf's help in covering up the crime.”

Wolf allegedly followed an investigator “throughout his investigation” while driving a city van.

The officer, unnamed in the report, “noted Wolf's behavior” during the investigation and recommended that Wolf be investigated for misdemeanor obstruction of governmental administration, a charge used against people who obstruct or interfere with police actions.

Confronted with the allegations, Wolf wrote a 17-page complaint against police in response. He later withdrew this complaint. That day, Christopher Mears, then the city's police chief, told Wolf he had been exonerated.

Wolf is also a member of the Spencerport Fire Department. Complaints were filed that he responded to fire scenes in an Ogden truck and in his city uniform. Once, according to the report, he entered a private home behind an Ogden police officer.

A 29-year-old woman died inside the house. The officer was then cautioned for his “lack of control at the scene” as Wolf was allowed entry.

Ogden expresses concern that highway superintendent is ignoring restrictions

Wolf has been subject to restrictions at his workplace for several months and records show the city warned him at least once that he was not following the restrictions.

In an April 12 letter from the city council, Wolf was warned that I must follow “the guidelines for workplace interaction as set forth in the employment memorandum.”

“Please understand, this is a very serious matter,” Wolf was warned. “Your conduct has created legal liability for the City.”

Dan Wolf faces restrictions on interactions with Ogden Highway employees

Several Ogden Highway employees cited use of racist, sexist and other slurs

City of Ogden employee 'felt sexualized' over highway superintendent's comments

Ogden Highway Superintendent Allegedly Obstructed Police Investigation into Relative

Ogden expresses concern that highway superintendent is ignoring restrictions

Lina Portman

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