Former jail employee files whistleblower lawsuit

A former Santa Fe County jail employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit Monday against the County Commission, alleging he was fired in retaliation for reporting that a jail warden didn’t tell the truth about how his county-owned car was damaged.

The lawsuit was filed by Joey Romero, who was a fleet manager and had worked for the county for more than 10 years, according to the complaint filed in state District Court in Santa Fe.

Romero “became aware that his Warden was involved in a vehicle crash” in August 2016, the complaint says.

The warden — who is not named in the complaint but was Mark Caldwell at the time — said the vehicle had been vandalized.

But after inspecting the vehicle, according to the complaint, Romero determined the damage “could not have happened the way the Warden described.”

The vehicle’s rim and tire were damaged in such a way that it appeared the car had struck a curb, Romero’s attorney, Donald Gilpin, said.

After reporting to his superiors his suspicions regarding the damage, Romero’s complaint said, he was treated poorly by the warden and shortly thereafter fired for improper use of a county vehicle, which he denies.

Caldwell, who is no longer the warden, couldn’t be reached for comment. A county spokeswoman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit seeks lost wages and “special damages suffered because of defendant’s wrongful conduct.”