Worker Says She Was Penalized After Refusing To Bury Decaying Deer In Staten Island Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A worker says she was ordered to dig a grave at a city park in order to bury a dead deer.
When she refused, she says she got in trouble. Pictures obtained by CBS2 show the dead deer in the leaves on a cold ground of Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island right before it was about to be buried on public park property.
The deer dilemma caused drama within the Parks Department. Sources tell CBS2's Jessica Layton a worker was written up for "insubordination" and "neglect of duty" after refusing a supervisor's orders to dig a hole, help bury the deceased animal, and clean up.
The worker says she was concerned about the health risks of being so close to the decaying carcass. She adds that she's worried about retaliation from her superiors and won't go on camera, but says employees had no idea that digging graves for dead creatures was in their job description
So is it even Parks Department protocol to handle the animals that way? In some cases, apparently so. The agency says generally its workers will dispose of the dead animals off site, but if the animal is big or it's in a spot where it's tough to remove, such as a dense forest, it would be buried there.
Sources tell CBS2 it's not just deer, but dogs and raccoons too. The department wouldn't comment on how many dead animals are bring buried on Park property, but said "the matter is being investigated internally."
With the deer population on Staten Island growing at a rapid pace, the deer dilemma might not be going anywhere.