Fire security chief, Councilman Gillam tells center manager

The ex-Youngstown cop says he's not a racist.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Councilman Artis Gillam Sr. wants the firm managing the city-owned Chevrolet Centre to fire its security manager, a former Youngstown police officer.
Gillam, whose ward includes the center, said former Detective Sgt. Steven Dunn shouldn't be employed by the facility.
Gillam, D-1st, said Dunn's been accused on more than one occasion of making remarks offensive to blacks. Dunn was fired twice from the force but reinstated both times by an arbitrator.
"I'm upset about it," Gillam said of Dunn's working at the center. "I fought very hard to get that center. I'd like to see him dismissed. Let him get a nonpublic job."
Dunn, hired in 1980, was fired in December 1987 after police said he used excessive force against a black teenager, and for sitting by while a partner shouted racial slurs at blacks in a housing project. Dunn was reinstated after an arbitrator disagreed with the police department's assertion.
He was fired a second time when then-city Finance Director Barbara Burtner contended Dunn made racist statements in front of her in September 1998.
A second arbitrator decided in February 1999 to reinstate Dunn. But Dunn quit the department in June 1999 on a disability claim.
Dunn said being reinstated twice proves he's not a racist.
"I was marked with a stigma and knew I couldn't work there anymore," Dunn said of his decision to leave the police department. "I moved on to something else."
Dunn received a $13,000 severance check from the city.
Background
Dunn said he graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in business and was hired in October as the center's security manager.
Matt Hufnagel, the center's executive director, said he wasn't aware of Dunn's past. Because Hufnagel wasn't in charge of the facility when Dunn was hired, he had no further comment.
As security manager, Dunn said he manages the security staff and organizes the work schedule. There is no physical activity involved with the job, he said.
Dunn said he had to fire two black center employees recently for stealing, and he fired a black police officer working security at the facility a month ago. Dunn said half of his work force is black, and the woman who hired him for the center job is black.
"I find it interesting [Gillam] is suing someone for slander, yet he's slandering me with no basis for what he is saying," Dunn said.
Suit against Gillam
Gillam recently filed a civil lawsuit against Arlene D.T. Bahar, fired as city clerk Feb. 15, who wrote a letter to members of council accusing Gillam of sexual harassment. Gillam strongly denies the accusation and sued Bahar, contending she defamed him and caused intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Dunn said he is contacting a lawyer to possibly sue Gillam.
"I don't deserve this to happen to me," Dunn said. "Why would [Gillam] try to hurt me? I've been here since October, and all of a sudden it's a problem today."
Dunn urged The Vindicator to ask specific black police officials and other black members of council about his character.
"He had some problems," said Councilman Richard Atkinson, R-3rd. "We all make mistakes. But I don't consider him a racist. I think Steve's doing a good job there."
Police Detective Sgt. Rick Alli, who is black, said he never had a problem with Dunn. "I've known him to make off-color statements in the past that have gotten him in trouble," he said. "But I personally never had any problems with him at all."
skolnick@vindy.com