Zoo Fires 19 for Alleged Drug Involvement; 20 Others Disciplined

Nineteen San Diego Zoo employees have been fired for alleged drug use or theft uncovered during a four-month undercover investigation that also found some zoo and Wild Animal Park workers possessing unauthorized firearms on the job.

Doug Myers, executive director of the Zoological Society, read a three-page statement and met with reporters Tuesday at the zoo’s administration building to report the findings of the in-house probe. In addition to the 19 dismissals, 9 employees were suspended without pay and 11 others received warnings, he said.

Myers said that he had initiated a clampdown on further information about the investigation by warning all zoo and Wild Animal Park employees not to discuss the matter with reporters.

After concluding the statement Myers walked out of the press conference without answering any questions from reporters.

Myers’ restriction on talking to the press also applied to zoo spokesman Jeff Jouett, who told reporters that he could not even comment on information that he gave to reporters last week, when a private investigative agency hired by the zoo to conduct the probe began rounding up employees. During the roundup several dozen employees were put in vans and driven to a downtown office building to be interrogated.

Employees Agreed to Cooperate

Last week, Jouett said that zoo officials planned to suspend without pay employees who refused to answer the private investigators’ questions. Jouett said that employees were interrogated during a three-day period and every employee agreed to cooperate. However, some employees complained that they were subjected to extensive questioning by the investigators and zoo officials without the benefit of an attorney or union official being present.

Myers’ refusal to answer questions about the investigation led to some acrimonious exchanges between Jouett and reporters, who complained that the Zoological Society’s stonewalling tactics raised further questions.

For example, Myers and Jouett refused to say why some employees were bringing unauthorized guns to work, or the type of weapons involved. They also refused to say if guns were brought to work for protection from other employees or from the animals at the zoo and Wild Animal Park. One reporter asked Jouett if the drug dealing was so heavy at the zoo that drug-dealing employees armed themselves to prevent drug rip-offs. Were park visitors endangered by gun-carrying employees, he was asked.

Refusal to Comment on Issues

“No comment,” Jouett said.

Myers and Jouett also refused to say how many employees were fired for bringing guns to work and how many were terminated for using or selling drugs on the job. They refused to comment on the length of the suspensions or what items were lost to employee theft. The two officials also refused to say what action would be taken against employees who ignored Myers’ order not to talk to reporters.

Later in the day Jouett referred a reporter to attorney J. Rod Betts, from the firm of Gray Cary Ames & Frye, who represented and counseled zoo officials during the undercover probe.

Betts failed to return repeated calls to his office.

Teamsters Local 481 represents about 800 employees at the zoo and Wild Animal Park. Bill Martin, secretary-treasurer of the local, said Tuesday that the union will contest the dismissals. But Martin said that he was awaiting further information from zoo officials about the firings, suspensions and warnings issued to employees.

“At this time I don’t know how many were fired for alleged drug use, sales or for carrying guns. I also don’t know the length of the suspensions. I’m still waiting to get that information from management,” Martin said.

Dismissals May Be Contested

He said that the dismissals would probably be contested to make sure that zoo officials had just cause for firing the employees.

“I can tell you right now that some employees have already disputed the reasons for their dismissal. Our question is: ‘Was it for just cause?’ . . . Our agreement with management gives them the right to terminate an employee, but they need just cause,” Martin said.

He refused to say how many employees have contested their dismissals so far.

As to Myers ordering zoo employees not to talk with reporters, Martin said that union officials have told the rank and file that “they can do whatever they please. This means that they can choose not to talk with the press if they choose,” he said.

Narcotics officers from the San Diego Police Department supervised parts of the undercover probe done by the private firm of Kennedy Consulting Investigations Inc. The officers were present when private investigators did undercover buys from zoo employees.

Dealing and Using Drugs

Myers said that employees were charged with dealing and using marijuana, methamphetamines and cocaine. But police investigators told The Times last week that they had not witnessed the sale or use of cocaine, only marijuana and methamphetamines.

On Tuesday, Lt. Dan Berglund, head of the department’s Narcotics Street Team, said that officers were still conducting their own investigation. “Our end of it is still pending. We haven’t made any arrests yet,” Berglund said.

In a letter mailed to employees last week, Myers said that he authorized the undercover investigation after some employees complained to him about drug use and sales at the zoo.