Workers’ Comp Awarded To Employee After Supervisor’s Crude, Dangerous Pranks Go Ignored

Over the course of several years, an Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association employee played pranks on co-workers by building and detonating bombs near them, attempting to defecate on them while they worked, and placing bags of his own feces in their lunches. The general manager of the association knew about the employee’s behavior and, rather than discipline or terminate him, promoted him. Those were among the findings of an administrative law judge who ruled late last year that the Montrose-based association must pay disability benefits to another employee who was injured on the job and fired last May.