Dallas ethics panel finds employee forged coworkers signature; orders 1-2 hour training

The Ethics Advisory Commission on May 12 held an evidentiary hearing after David Smith, an employee in the City of Dallas Department of Park and Recreation, admitted forging a coworker's electronic signature on a December 2023 bid memo for playground materials at Willie Mae Butler Park in East Dallas. The panel accepted Smith's plea of "true" to two ethics violations and, by unanimous vote, referred him for 1 to 2 hours of ethics training.

The panel began by taking jurisdiction over an information filed by the Office of Inspector General and admitting 27 exhibits the inspector's office offered into evidence. The inspector general's opening summary said the December 13 memo misstated the materials and quantities needed for the playground replacement and that Smith used the office assistant's electronic signature without her consent. The inspector general's office said the memo stated 360 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber were needed when the project required about 230 cubic yards and an additional layer of filter fabric not covered under the master agreement.

Smith told the commission he accepted responsibility and said the conduct was "misguided, not malicious," apologizing for his actions and saying he had received verbal counseling and coaching from his assistant director and human resources. He said he had no personal financial benefit from the transaction and that the project's procurement and price-agreement paperwork was handled across multiple staff and offices.

The inspector general's office recommended substantiation of the two alleged ethics violations and recommended referral to ethics training for current city employees. When commissioners asked about motive and whether the conduct caused monetary loss, the inspector general's office said investigators saw no evidence of personal gain and reported no monetary loss; it estimated the fabric element of the work cost about $3,200 and said the apparent inflation to 360 cubic yards had been used to cover that cost in the single line-item price agreement.

During discussion the panel distinguished between the forgery allegation and separate procurement concerns; the inspector general said the office pursued what it could substantiate in the ethics information. Commissioners asked for confirmation that the complainant, Thetis Medder, had not been held responsible; the record shows Medder reported the unauthorized signature and later transferred to the Department of Code Compliance in March 2024.

After hearing briefing and testimony, the panel voted unanimously to impose the recommended sanction: referral to ethics training arranged by the chief compliance officer, one to two hours in length. The commission recorded the motion, which passed by voice vote with five ayes. The chair said the panel would prepare a binding sheet for signatures and that the inspector general could report back on completion of any required training.

The commission adjourned the hearing at 10:37 a.m.