JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ryan Ali, the former head of Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment division, repeatedly criticized his employees’ appearances, used city-owned equipment for personal use and created a hostile work environment through intimidation, according to a report released Monday by the Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Ali, who held that position in special events for more than a year, was placed on paid administrative leave in 2020 after more than 10 complaints were filed against him starting in 2019. He resigned in December of 2020 and, according to his LinkedIn page, went on to work as the Director of Community Relations and Philanthropy at Ackerman Cancer Center.
The OIG investigated four key allegations against Ali and substantiated all four, including a violation of the city’s procurement code, falsification of time and attendance records and misuse of COJ resources.
Former staff told investigators Ali often yelled at staff, slammed doors and targeted employees who were less likely to fight back. He also regularly commented on the staff’s physical appearances and made derogatory remarks, according to the investigation.
Staff provided the following examples to investigators:
- Ali told a DSE employee she needed to get her hair done.
- Ali told a DSE employee their hair looked like they could audition for the Lion King movie.
- One employee sold their clothes on the internet because Ali commented they looked like his grandmother’s curtains.
- Ali offered to bring an employee a wig so their hair would not look bad.
On multiple occasions, staff said it witnessed Ali yell and direct profanity at one employee, causing them to cry.
The investigation also found that Ali was in New Orleans when he claimed to be at UNF for a conference and that Ali had used some city-owned lights for a birthday party.
According to a review of DSE personnel records, over a span of more than 14 months during the time Ali oversaw the department, 17 employees departed, 13 employees resigned, two employees transferred to different COJ departments, one DSE employee was terminated (because he walked off the job) and one employee retired.
Mayor Lenny Curry issued a statement Monday evening to News4JAX:
News4JAX contacted Ali through text message and he referred us to his attorney. His attorney said his statement is included in the report, which calls into question the validity of the “mishandled” investigation.
Attorney James Poindexter went on to imply the complaints “were part of a campaign to have my client removed from his position.”
“That effort appears to have been caused by employee resistance to my clients efforts to improve the efficiencies of the department,” he continued. “Unfortunately, Mr. Ali met great resistance he attempted to challenge the status quo, and it appears that some on his team worked together to ensure that my client would no longer be in a position to implement these changes.”
He said several of the situations detailed in the report were “taken out of context.”
Read the full report here, and Poindexter’s full response to the allegations starting on page 66.