The Bobster
Senior News Editor since 2004
City worker reinstated after profanity-laced incident
A city tobacco inspector fired for cursing out a bodega owner has been given her job back.
nypost.com
City worker reinstated after profanity-laced incident
By
Kathianne Boniello
May 14, 2022 9:12am
Updated
A city tobacco inspector fired for cursing out a bodega owner who allegedly hurled racist and sexist slurs at her has been given her job back.
Atara Smith, 37, and her partner were about to give Sadek Gourmet Deli in the Bronx a summons for selling tobacco to a minor when the profanity-laced altercation with store owner Sadek Almhillah occurred.
Almhillah denied calling the city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection employees the n-word, calling Smith a “f–king bitch,” and telling her to “suck a d–k”, during the November 2019 incident, records show.
Even though records from the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings show a judge found the deli owner was “not a credible witness” and had intentionally tried “to incite an angry and emotional reaction” from the inspectors, Smith was axed in December for repeatedly used the F-word.
Smith appealed and on May 6, the city Civil Service Commission reinstated her, finding that though her conduct was “extremely unprofessional,” “the particular circumstances of this case do not warrant the maximum punishment of termination.” and instead, modified Smith’s punishment to “time served.”