Community upset after employees from Florida Caverns reprimanded

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) — Jackson County residents are upset after several Florida Caverns State Park employees have been reprimanded. The state completed an investigation at the park about the handling of wildlife and historical artifacts.

In 2018, a group of Florida Caverns park rangers hunkered down in the state park to ride out Hurricane Michael.

“The thought of people coming in and looting that park after a hurricane, they stayed in that park when the park was destroyed around them, they were trapped in that park for days after the hurricane,” frequent park visitor Dale Cox said.

But, some of those heroes are now being reprimanded by the state. Cox said one of the allegations involves how they handled the rehabilitation of a baby owl.

“Nothing was done wrong, nothing was inappropriate, Bailey was trained, he knew what he was doing with the owl,” state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator Dianna Bryant said.

Cox said investigators from the Department of Environmental Protection and the State Division of Historical Resources also visited the park to investigate the possibility of artifacts being mishandled.

“They found that the artifacts did not leave the park as the employees were accused of doing, they found that nothing was sold on the market and nothing like that occurred there was no digging in the park,” Cox said.

Cox said even with no proof of wrongdoing, the state reprimanded several park employees.

“They care very deeply for the park they were a part of in this community and that would be a huge blow to us here locally and even at the state level,” Jackson County resident Travis Greg said. “If their procedures were not followed correctly, then I can understand reprimands but the heavy-handedness is just completely unnecessary and we’re going to keep getting this higher and higher until we can get it overturned.”

“I think this is a part where the agency has failed its employees instead of the employees failing the state, nothing was done maliciously,” Jackson County resident Kyle Tyre said.

Park manager Billy Bailey has spent nearly two decades at the Florida Caverns. According to the state, Bailey has resigned effective April 15. Those wanting Bailey to keep his position as park ranger say the state did not give him the option to keep his job, instead, they said the state gave him the option to resign or be fired.

“I’d like Mr. Billy to get his job back and he has led the school through a foraging hike through the caverns, he cares about people and animals,” young park enthusiast Elijah Ellis said. “He saved a lot of wildlife and he’s really nice to people, and we just would like to get his job back.”

The Florida Caverns is a main tourist attraction in Jackson County and community members hope the knowledge and experience of the employees will not be lost.

Florida State Parks sent News 13 the following statement, “Following an investigation conducted by the Department’s Office of the Inspector General, several personnel actions were taken to appropriately address the sustained findings, ranging from written reprimands to demotions. The current manager of Florida Caverns State Park chose to resign with an effective date of April 15, 2024. Park managers are select exempt employees and serve at the will of the agency. Until the position is filled, the Florida Park Service has shifted resources to ensure continuity of operations at the park. “

For more information about the Florida Caverns, click here .

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