Jacksonville Housing Authority board fires CEO amid findings of sex acts on the job

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The board of the Jacksonville Housing Authority decided Wednesday to fire CEO Fred McKinnies at an emergency meeting.

McKinnies had sex with multiple employees and participated in a sex act on public property, according to findings from an Inspector General's Office report.

Now with McKinnies gone, many want to know about the paid leave he has been cashing out for almost a year since these allegations first came out.

During the emergency meeting one employee said, "I am concerned as to whether the actions you have before you are going to open us to recapture any of the money that Mr. McKinnies has been paid during his absence.

Action News Jax asked if its money lost.

JHA Board member Jon McGowan says, "It is. Anytime someone is accused, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt. You have to give them the time. We have to make sure the investigation is done correctly."

We're told there's no way to recover that money.

The Board voted to keep Dwayne Alexander as the interim CEO, and they are confident he will instill confidence back into the employees and the agency.

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A 69-page report lays out allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s.

McKinnies was placed on paid administrative leave in 2018.

Since then, the Office of Inspector General substantiated allegations of McKinnies having consensual sexual relationships with multiple employees and participating in a sex act on JHA property.

They also substantiated McKinnies received gifts and had JHA employees complete home improvement services at his home and the whistleblower's home.

The report says McKinnies admitted to having a consensual relationship with the whistleblower for 10 years, between 1999 and 2009.

He also admitted to having a relationship with another woman, named "Witness B," from 2007 to 2018.

Page 34 includes an allegation that the whistleblower challenged Witness B to perform a sex act on McKinnes in JHA's main office.

That allegation was substantiated in the report, something McKinnes says he didn't recall.

Action News Jax reached out to the city for comment and a spokesperson sent this statement on Monday:

"Mayor Curry and the Administration are grateful to Inspector General Green and her staff for their thorough work. A number of serious allegations deserved and received an exhaustive investigation. The resulting report demonstrates an organization that has faced a serious deficiency of leadership. The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) has an obligation to serve the people of Jacksonville as a steward of the public trust and to be an agency that respects the need for safe, affordable housing. Under the leadership of the CEO/President, that trust has been broken. At best, JHA has a CEO/President who has fostered a culture of unprofessionalism that reflects poorly on its important mission. At worst, JHA's CEO/President has disrespected its staff and residents with inappropriate and unethical decisions. Either way, Mayor Curry believes the JHA board must terminate the CEO and immediately begin the search for a qualified replacement with integrity who will restore the trust of the City and JHA staff, as well as dignity to the residents who rely on safe, affordable housing. " – Brian Hughes, CAO

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