More claims of racism leveled at Anna Maria

A fifth former Anna Maria employee has come forward, alleging racially motivated mistreatment inside the walls of city hall.

Candela Lemos, who worked for the city as a temporary employee October-December 2023, emailed The Islander Sept. 15, detailing her experiences with the city.

“Remaining silent would not sit right with me, especially knowing what employees of color have faced, are still facing, and will continue to face in the city of Anna Maria,” she wrote.

Lemos wrote that she had been prompted by coverage of Benzard Holland and three other former city employees’ claims of racially motivated mistreatment and a hostile workplace.

The municipality paid labor attorney Matthew Stefany, from the Tampa-based Allen Norton & Blue law firm, $13,722.50 to investigate Holland’s claims.

Stefany’s investigation culminated in a Sept. 6 report that found the former employees’ claims “unsubstantiated.”

However, Holland and former public works manager Roosevelt Jones have pushed back against Stefany’s findings and reiterated their allegations.

Now Lemos has come forward, echoing the complaints made by former code enforcement officer/administrator Tyffanny Rios, whose claims were not investigated by Stefany.

Rios, a dark-skinned Latina, alleged that she resigned due to racially motivated mistreatment from city clerk and treasurer LeAnne Addy.

She claimed Addy made multiple disparaging or inappropriate comments during her tenure with the city and treated her and other non-white employees differently than white employees.

Rios also claimed the city clerk deliberately set her up to fail as an employee.

Lemos, a Hispanic woman, wrote that she and another Hispanic employee were treated unfairly by Addy, who allegedly redistributed duties to effectively sideline them in favor of white employees.

She said Addy “repeatedly undermined” her Hispanic coworker by stripping her role of certain duties that were then reassigned to a less experienced, white employee.

Mayor Dan Murphy “failed to address or even acknowledge this situation, allowing LeAnne’s behavior to go unchecked,” according to Lemos.

She said that she had been working toward a permanent position with the city but, despite being fully staffed, the municipality brought back a retired white employee to handle some duties.

Lemos said that employee then “kept much of the necessary knowledge and proper procedures to herself, making it difficult for others to perform the job correctly.”

“At first, I didn’t see the racial dynamics at play, but it soon became clear that decisions were being made that favored white employees over those of us who are Hispanic,” she wrote. “The shift in how responsibilities were distributed could not be overlooked.”

Despite hesitating to speak about her experiences, Lemos wrote that she believed it was important to acknowledge the situation.

“These are my personal observations, and I felt compelled to share them after witnessing firsthand the unfair treatment we endured,” she wrote. “The actions of LeAnne Addy, with the mayor’s passive support, created an environment where people like … Roosevelt and myself were marginalized for reasons that have nothing to do with our performance or dedication to the city.”

Lemos wrote that she hoped the city would take action to correct injustices and ensure all employees “are treated with the respect and fairness they deserve, regardless of race or background.”

At the very least, she said, she hoped her story might inspire others facing similar issues to speak up.

Lemos also prompted residents to ponder such allegations.

“The residents of Anna Maria need to ask themselves whether they are comfortable with this kind of leadership and treatment of employees. These issues are not isolated, and they need to be addressed at the highest levels.”