Countywide : 4 Quit OCTA After In-House Drug Probe

Four administrative employees have resigned their posts at the Orange County Transportation Authority after an internal investigation into drug use, officials said this week.

A fifth employee is on leave pending completion of the investigation, said Monte Ward, OCTA’s director of external affairs.

No arrests have been made, and the matter won’t be referred to police because the alleged drug use occurred some time ago and no one was caught “in the act,” Ward said. All involved were office workers and not drivers or mechanics who affect public safety, he added.

One of the employees who resigned, a supervisor targeted in the probe, did not use drugs but sent a staff member on a personal errand for the supervisor and violated other OCTA employment policies, Ward said.

It was a worker’s tip about the personal errand that led to the internal investigation, Ward said.

Names and details are being withheld because of an agreement with those who have resigned not to discuss specifics of their individual cases, Ward said.

“Although they were administrative workers, the authority does not tolerate any drug or alcohol use which may affect job performance or (pose) a hazard to the safety of the employee or other employees of the organization,” said Stan Oftelie, OCTA’s chief executive officer.

All OCTA employees are tested for drug use before employment. Bus drivers involved in accidents are subjected to spot checks as well, Ward said.