Former town manager sent warning letter 3 years before woman’s death

New questions have arisen in the death of a Wingate Public Works employee after a whistleblower showed Eyewitness News a letter he sent town officials warning about safety concerns.

PDF: Letter to town officials

The former director at the Department of Public Works, Mike Brower, resigned his post of nearly 10 years in August.

He first sent a letter to the former town manager in July 2008, citing personnel issues, including bullying, dissension amongst colleagues and workers refusing to take direction from him.

"I had no control over the employees, I was being micromanaged, and when I tried to discipline, I ended up being the one getting the spanking for it," said Brower.

In the letter, Brower told officials, "Someone may be hurt, tragically hurt while under my direction."

Over the next three years, Brower said the issues did not improve and he re-submitted the letter to town officials in July of this year.

He resigned on Friday, Aug. 12th.

His close friend and employee, Felinda Thompson, died on Monday, Aug. 15th while riding an industrial lawn mower on Elm Street.

"For years, I have been warning the town folks, the ones in charge that something of this magnitude was not only very possible, but very likely and nobody would listen ... it should have never happened, that day should have never happened," Brower said.

Eyewitness News took the letter to town officials, asking if the town would accept any responsibility in Felinda Thompson's death by ignoring the warnings.

"Due to not meeting with OSHA yet, and the continuing investigation, I can't comment on that," said interim town manager Patrick Niland.

Niland said the town is awaiting a meeting with OSHA investigators to discuss the $2,100 fine levied by the North Carolina Department of Labor, after investigators found two serious violations they concluded led to Thompson's death.

Niland also contended it was not a conflict of interest for the Wingate Police Department to be handling Thompson's death investigation.

Niland did apologize for the confusion surrounding police Chief Barry Glass's earlier statements he had not received a final copy of Thompson's death report from the medical examiner, despite the fact that Eyewitness News confirmed a final copy of the report did exist and had been mailed to Thompson's family a week before.

"It's unfortunate it happened that way," Niland said.

The town is planning a memorial service for Thompson on Nov. 14th, a day that would have marked her 49th birthday.

Previous Stories: October 13, 2011: Questions remain after Wingate woman dies on the job