The city of Fort Worth hired a contract veterinarian, Joel Akin, to neuter animals at the city shelter. Some of the surgeries reportedly didn’t go well. After a dog he spayed died at the facility, the rescuer intending to pull the dog asked to speak with him but she says he refused. A technician at the clinic reported that Akin was drunk on the job. The city immediately suspended and later fired her for making “irresponsible and unfounded” allegations.
Akin’s boss, code compliance director Brandon Bennett, told a local paper, “Akin had a disability that sometimes caused him to get dizzy and slur his speech but that he was a skilled vet.”
He’s a deadbeat dad who’s also gotten into trouble for assaulting and harassing people BUT, it’s a disability. I hope we can get him a special parking space.
“He’d had a troubled life,” [Fort Worth assistant city manager Fernando] Costa said. “But not withstanding those problems, he appeared to be fully certified as a veterinarian.”
The I-Team found those problems included a criminal record for driving under the influence, public intoxication and police reports alleging akin was shouting racial slurs in public.
Akin reportedly posted a number of disturbing comments on Facebook while employed by the city, some calling on people to kill Muslims, others described as “suicidal” in nature and uh, some other stuff.
At a hearing in November 2015, the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners found that Akin was a “continuing threat and a real danger” to his patients and/or the public and suspended his license. The city finally canceled Akin’s contract. After the state vet board took his license away. Cause before that, he appeared to be fully certified as a veterinarian. With a disability.
(Thanks Clarice.)
Wow. So they knew he had a “disability”. Yes, I guess alcoholism is disabling.
How many people did they fire to cover up his “disability”, I wonder?
Please don’t lump this guy in with truly disabled people. I work with special needs children and he has a different set of problems. I’m amazed at the people who continued to CHA (like CYA only his) while animals suffered and died. GEEZ
Who is his drinking buddy who got him the job – what city job is THAT person doing? And is that guy slurring his speak and acting badly too?