Taxpayers Paying Former Sacramento County Employee To Stay Home

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Sacramento County taxpayers are paying a county employee a six-figure salary to stay at home.

He was fired from his job as the animal shelter director last year.

Carl Simpson fought it and won, but instead of going back to work, the county's giving him a paycheck to stay at home.

The Civil Service Commission ruled that the county made a costly mistake firing its animal shelter director last year.

"The residents of Sacramento County deserve better," said Simpson. "This is reiterating the fact that this never should have happened."

Instead of welcoming him back, Simpson says the county told him they'd rather pay him a $115,000 a year to stay away.

"It's because of people's egos and personal vendettas, or their opinion, that now the taxpayers are going to have to pay for this and that angers me as a public servant," said Simpson.

Simpson took the job at the shelter in 2010, hired to bring down kill rates and work with rescue groups.

"There was resentment right away," said Simpson.

He says not everyone was happy with the change, and soon he says he found himself at the center of some shocking allegations.

"Hitting on people, sexually harassing people, I was accused of urinating in front of one of the employees," said Simpson.

Simpson claims he was also pushed out because of his race.

The county fired him less than a year after taking the job.

"I thought, how could this happen," said Simpson.

The firing fiasco is costing the county even more. Simpson gets a big check, a year and a half of back pay while the case went to court.

However Simpson says he'd rather work for his money.

"I feel that the only way that I can get my credibility, and my respect, and my reputation restored is to walk down the hallway and say 'I'm back, let's get busy,' " said Simpson.

When CBS13 asked the county how they could justify the decision with so many cuts to the county, a spokesperson said: "I wish I could share more with you, but since this is a personnel issue, and involves litigation, you can understand that we can't discuss details."

One of the reasons why he may not be back is that Simpson has a pending lawsuit against the county.