The Mobile Housing Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday evening to send Executive Director Akinola Popoola to a pre-disciplinary hearing for an unknown reason.
The vote came after a short executive session. The board did not elaborate on its action during the meeting and Popoola had no comment about the move.
Popoola was hired in October of 2017 to replace Dwayne Vaughn, who resigned on Feb. 28, 2017.
Popoola, who came to Mobile from the Opelika Housing Authority, is currently involved in a lawsuit with his former employer over 1,706 hours of unused sick time he claims he’s owed after signing a contract extension in late 2016. Popoola believes he is owed $108,208.53, according to the complaint filed in Lee County Aug. 23.
Blake Oliver, an attorney representing Popoola in the suit, argues the contract stipulates Popoola is owed any unused sick time. A call to Oliver seeking comment has not yet been returned.
In a letter to Popoola addressing the unused sick time, Jennifer Chambliss, an attorney for the Opelika board, wrote the unpaid sick time clause in the contract applies to termination and not if Popoola resigns or simply quits.
“Since your contract does not address unused sick leave at your resignation, I turn to and rely upon the employee handbook … ,” she wrote. “Because you have not been an employee with 25 years of service to OHA and (the Retirement Services of Alabama), you are not eligible to receive monetary compensation for your unused sick time.
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