Transit employees protest ‘toxic’ and ‘chaotic’ workplace under Tri-Cities CEO
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Workers protest CEO Drozt over alleged financial mismanagement and retaliation.
- Board stays silent while legal counsel oversees an investigation into claims.
- Budget shifts add admin posts as drivers face cuts amid accusations of waste.
At a raucous transit meeting, employees questioned why the agency’s top leader wasn’t being placed on leave while under investigation and were met with silence from the elected board members.
More than 100 people packed Ben Franklin Transit’s regular monthly meeting on Thursday night at its Richland headquarters, with dozens of employees picketing before it started.
The agency’s legal counsel, Jeremy Bishop of Bishop and Roach Law, told the overflow crowd at the start of the meeting that the board was aware of the allegations and that he was overseeing an investigation.
Concerned employees and others took up just over 30 minutes during the public comment session at the start of the meeting to ask questions and raise concerns.
None of the elected officials on the board spoke about the claims of financial mismanagement, inappropriate behavior or retaliatory firings by Chief Executive Officer Thomas Drozt before moving on with the business meeting.
Franklin County Commissioner Stephen Bauman did say later in the meeting that he was concerned about the claims of workplace toxicity brought up by several commenters, and asked that it be looked into.
The allegations stem from a recent email sent to the board from the agency’s chief financial officer, detailing a series of questionable actions Drozt that caused him to resign at the end of October.
The Washington state Auditor’s Office told the Tri-City Herald in an email this week that they have “received notification of these concerns and are assessing the situation now.”
Independent investigation
Bishop told the Herald in an email Monday that the agency is committed to fostering a workplace where people feel heard, respected and supported.
“BFT takes concerns raised by employees about workplace culture seriously. Creating a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for everyone is a responsibility BFT does not take lightly,” Bishop wrote.
Bishop said the agency will investigate complaints brought formally through established internal reporting channels and carefully review them in accordance with BFT policies and procedures.
“To ensure fairness and accuracy for all involved, the agency investigates complaints that are brought to it directly by employees through these processes; it does not investigate rumors or unsubstantiated claims,” he said in the email.
Bishop also said the agency will evaluate its policies and work to address workplace concerns.
“We are actively listening to employee feedback and are committed to making improvements where needed. This includes reinforcing our standards of conduct, strengthening communication, and ensuring employees have multiple avenues to raise concerns without fear of retaliation,” he said.
“Workplace culture is not static, and BFT recognizes that it requires ongoing attention, reflection, and leadership. We are continuing to evaluate our policies, training, and management practices to ensure they align with our values and the expectations of the BFT workforce.”
Tense board meeting
Picketers carried several signs into the board meeting that referred to allegations against Drozt. Some read: “Living the dream on taxpayer’s dime,” “Audit the books!” “5 golf carts !!!60K!!!” and “Bring Forth Truth quit lying.”
Drozt was interrupted repeatedly during the meeting, and protesters had several exchanges with board members.
During a discussion of the agency’s 2026 budget, one former employee confronted Drozt by placing a sign that read “Show us the books” directly in front of the projection he was using for his presentation. Security officers removed the sign.
Teamsters Union 839 Steward Chase Keeney questioned why the agency was cutting the number of drivers when it had the money to buy $60,000 on luxury golf carts, allegedly paying Drozt’s friends for consulting services and his attempting to move millions to an unapproved grant fund.
The 2026 budget shows a reduction of 10 drivers, while marketing services and other areas are adding employees.
Drozt is adding three people to his administration team, and the board approved a $2.6 million budget increase Thursday night for his department.
What employees had to say
Several employees questioned why Drozt was not placed on leave, pointing to company policy that they believe would have led to any other employee being put on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
They told the board that BFT had become a toxic workplace, filled with intimidation and constructive firing of anyone who questioned Drozt’s actions.
Keeney, who is a mechanic for the transit agency, said it’s particularly frustrating to see allegations of money being mishandled when they are being told the transit agency doesn’t have the money to properly pay employees.
“We’re just trying to expose any corruption if there is some. We’ve got good inside sources saying that there’s a lot of mismanagement of funds,” he told the Herald. “And all the meanwhile we’re in negotiations on the maintenance contract, and they’re not giving us a wage proposal and not saying we’re worth the wage increases.”
He said several people have been fired recently after speaking out.
“There’s been some specific people targeted, anyone who speaks up or doesn’t fit their agenda,” Keeney said. “It seems like they’re being targeted, we’ve had several people unjustly fired, and the atmosphere here is just very chaotic.”
Solomon Torelli, a fixed-route bus driver and union steward, said the investigation is a reflection on the board itself. He believes that over the past few years it has become clear the board isn’t interested in building a better transit system.
“I feel like if we had a board that was at least neutral to transit and not adversarial or trying to use it to their own benefit. I feel like the whole community would be much better off,” Torelli told the Herald.
“I’ve enjoyed practically every minute of being a bus driver, but I haven’t enjoyed what I felt I needed to come and speak out (about),” he said.
They’re also concerned about retaliation due to recent firings and allegations that the agency’s human resources manager may also be involved in the claims against Drozt.
What is Drozt accused of?
The transit agency’s CEO has been accused of making a slew of questionable financial and ethical decisions since coming on board in September 2024.
Torelli said it was disappointing to realize that Drozt may not be as transit friendly as the impression he first gave workers.
Former Chief Financial Officer Alex Smith recently sent a letter to the board members in November detailing a series of key decisions that caused him to resign.
Attempting to move millions - Drozt and two board members allegedly tried to move $3 million in cash reserves into a “grant-like” program based on informal discussions with some elected board members. Smith, who was present in the meeting, said it was done outside the normal board process.
Awarding contracts to friends and family - Drozt is accused of awarding at least two contracts to friends and family. The first contract was for $125,000 for consulting services from a new company formed by a former business associated convicted of a sex offense. The monthly payments were listed in board meeting packets. The second contract was allegedly awarded to his stepson for about $5,000 to host workshops that Smith could not find documentation that they ever took place.
Asking an AI company for a personal benefit - Smith said he was at a conference with Drozt where the CEO allegedly asked a potential AI vendor to give him access to a horse betting application in exchange for an AI contract. He also allegedly asked about ways to use AI to reduce the transit agency’s workforce.
The union has also taken issue with Drozt spending $61,000 on luxury golf carts for special events. At Thursday’s meeting, one employee claimed he had even taken a golf cart home.
Employees say he also damaged a company vehicle and just dropped it off at the agency’s shop to have staff fix.
They said the toxicity was so bad that earlier in the week Drozt gave away the hams that in years past were set aside for employees who couldn’t attend the company’s Christmas party. Employees who were on shift had theirs delivered.
A series of social media posts shows Drozt taking credit for donating 57 holiday hams to the Tri-City Food Bank. He even had a sign made up for the occasion.
Employees said that typically they can take a ham at the party and the leftovers are put in refrigerators at headquarters for others who did not attend the party.
Ben Franklin Transit disputed that account in an email to the Herald on Monday. The agency said that a flyer for the event showed that employees needed to attend in order to get a free ham. The transit agency’s union also had a holiday party at the same time that night.
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM.
