Assistant Business Administrator Jennifer Hirschmanner has asked a subordinate in the Personnel Division to adjust the sick leave time for her stepson Dylan Hirschmanner, according to emails obtained via a request for records.

Hirschmanner’s involvement raised ethical questions and prompted city council members to raise the issue at a staff committee meeting.

The Local Government Ethics Act states: “No official or employee of a local government should act in his official capacity in a matter in which he, a member of his immediate family or a commercial organization in which he has an interest. , has a direct or indirect financial interest. or a personal involvement that can reasonably be expected to interfere with his objectivity or his independence of judgment.

Hirschmanner did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Hirschmanner emailed Agaid Henriquez, senior payroll clerk in the Personnel Division, on May 26, 2021, requesting 58 hours of leave that his stepson spent to be reimbursed because he was quarantined in due to the symptoms of Covid-19.

Hirschmanner had been put in charge of overseeing the Personnel Division. She also worked in an office in the division, officials said.

Her stepson was hired at the Department of Public Works (DPW) by the administration of Mayor Andre Sayegh in 2019. At the time, some officials raised questions about nepotism.

Public works officials told Hirschmanner in emails that they had no evidence that his son had been placed in quarantine.

Hirschmanner responded by stating that his son had been quarantined by the city’s health worker.

“I’m not sure where the process went wrong, but I do know that Dylan contacted his supervisor via text and phone call to alert him of his fever and the quarantine directive. I don’t know what happened after that, ”Hirschmanner wrote in an email to director of public works director William Rodriguez’s office, Wanda Santiago and Henriquez.

Santiago responded to the deputy business administrator saying there was no record that Hirschmanner had been quarantined and that Public Works had not received any test results.

Hirschmanner, the company’s assistant administrator, sent him a picture of a test result. The image is not visible in documents obtained through a registration request.

It is not clear whether Hirschmanner’s stepson was reimbursed for the 58 hours of leave.

Sales administrator Kathleen Long ignored questions about the ethics of Hirschmanner’s conduct.

“As you know we don’t comment on specific personnel matters, but as an administration we have always worked to ensure that we do not charge employees’ own sick leave in their personnel files for directives. COVID public health concerns such as quarantine and isolation. This city-wide policy helped employees know they could stay out of work and get tested if they showed symptoms, which reduced the spread of the virus throughout the pandemic, ”said Long.

Council members suggested that the administration conduct an internal investigation into Hirschmanner’s actions.

“This is a problem that the administration must resolve,” said city councilor Flavio Rivera, chairman of the finance committee, which oversees the administration. “As a public servant, you have to exercise better judgment. “

City councilor Luis Velez said Hirschmanner should have recused himself from anything relating to his stepson.

“This issue needs to be looked into by the administration,” added city councilor Lilisa Mimms.

“If there is a finding of improper conduct, I think the matter should be referred to the prosecutor’s office,” Velez said.