Dr Tim Ferner (57), a former USAF lieutenant-colonel now living in Outram, has sent a written complaint outlining his concerns to the Dunedin City Council, Government ministers and the Otago Daily Times.
Dunedin International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is part-owned by the DCC, through Dunedin City Holdings Ltd, and the Crown.
In his complaint, Dr Ferner said he applied for a part-time job at the airport and was interviewed twice, on February 11 and 12.
At the second interview, he alleged airport chief executive Richard Roberts made "derogatory and potentially discriminatory" statements about military veterans being "too authoritarian" to work at the airport.
He said Mr Roberts also questioned the authenticity of Dr Ferner's CV, which detailed his military background, saying it was "all rubbish".
Dr Ferner responded by withdrawing his application and filing his complaint, and yesterday said he was "very seriously" considering legal action.
"Everything in my CV is true. I'm not going to apologise for all of the things I've done during my Air Force career, nor will I have my integrity impugned by some petty bureaucrat like Mr Roberts."
Neither Mr Roberts nor business development general manager Megan Crawford responded to ODT requests for comment.
Instead, DIAL board chairman Tony Allison released a brief written statement which confirmed a complaint had been received.
"The matter is regarding an employment interview therefore we regard it as a confidential employment matter that we do not want to comment specifically on.
"I can confirm I have spoken to the parties involved and am satisfied with our process."
Mr Allison would not address the specific claims made by Dr Ferner, the threat of legal action or any steps being taken to resolve the situation, when asked.
Dr Ferner first featured in the ODT in 2013, when it emerged he was living quietly in Henley after a long USAF career.
His CV detailed his qualifications, including as a master navigator with 3200 flight hours and 37 combat support missions, as well as postings as a chief navigator in Japan, executive officer at Nato HQ in Turkey, and as chief of the Nato Air Integration Working Group in Germany.
He was chief of staff for the USAF Coalition and Irregular Warfare Centre of Excellence think-tank when he uncovered a multimillion-dollar scam involving a military contractor, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC).
The company later agreed to a pay the US Government $US5.75 million ($NZ8.4 million) to settle allegations it circumvented the bidding process for lucrative contracts, and Dr Ferner later received a payout of at least $US1.3 million.
Since moving to Dunedin in 2011, Dr Ferner - married to a New Zealand wife and with two sons - had completed a PhD at the University of Otago, examining the role of whistleblowers in the US Department of Defence.
He said he had been frustrated by numerous failed attempts to secure work in Dunedin, as he was considered over-qualified for many potential jobs.
He did not need the money, but wanted to contribute, and had sought the airport role because of his desire to return to an airport environment, he said.
Prof Robert Patman, of the University of Otago, who was Dr Ferner's primary PhD supervisor, was "quite shocked" to hear of Dr Ferner's alleged treatment.
He was "highly accomplished" and had a "great work ethic", as well as being a "very honest person".
"He's a person who has got high ethical standards, and that may be why he's outraged by those comments."
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I'm thinking Richard Robert's felt threatened and inadequate about his own CV. Good on you Tim all the best.
We don't half have some ignorant baskets.
I suppose calling someone a "petty bureaucrat" isn't derogatory?
Not is it is true and in reality that is being polite. If we had morals and principles in New Zealand they would be criminals.
Not when it's an accurate discription.
We certainly have a few in town.
A petty bureaucrat is a petit, or 'small', bureaucrat, in the same way 'petit bourgeois' is little and middle class.
Ok does anyone know who it is possible for someone to be over qualified?
Ah Yes...its in the mind of the employer. Most employers, for whatever reason, don't want to hire somebody they perceive as overqualified. Its a threat to them and the way they do business. Plus, as you get older, they don't wan to hire you. Highly skilled immigrants like Dr Ferner often have to take jobs they are overqualified for to work...in essence they trade the ability to make more money outside New Zealand for a better quality of life in New Zealand. Happens all the time. Ask any immigrant about the problems they face getting a job.
I think what happened to Dr Ferner exemplifies perfectly the nepotism and cronyism that is slowly killing Dunedin. A community can’t grow and improve when the least qualified are hired based upon who they know and that’s what’s happening to Dunedin. It is dying a slow death because the same group of people are running the city. They recycle the same stale ideas at our expense. Mr Roberts has been at the airport for over 20 years. How has the airport changed and improved for the better? The only thing that comes to mind is a new café and a larger carpark. Dunedin is the only city on the face of the earth that has focused its financial security on parking as the main stream of income for growth. So while the number of international flights continues to plummet we get this huge sprawling parking lot? Misplaced priorities don’t you think? Perhaps the most pathetic aspect of this story is Mr Roberts attack on the military. Senior enlisted personal and junior officers are running larger airports than Dunedin airport. They are better trained, more qualified and have more responsibility than Mr Roberts. Probably the best aspect is they are doing it for a fraction of Mr Roberts $250k salary
I'd say this about Mr Roberts: “He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” Hows that?
Dying? The airport has been dead for a long time! An original idea hasn’t come out of that place in years. Even the annual reports are nothing more than “cut and paste” of previous years reports with the same typos and grammar errors. Ooops-sorry, 2 pictures did change. Pathetic! You can’t really blame the CEO, the DCC and the board of directors are the problem. Where is the governance and oversight? I work full time in Dunedin and make a paltry $52,000. How do I get a $250,000 job managing a part time airport? Sign me up! Next the brain trust will be proposing another bike lane to the airport as a means to revitalize the airport. Somethings never change in Dunedin. Poor leadership being one!
Dunedin has an airport? I thought it was a flying club given the limited number of flights. Jokes aside, maybe a climate assessment of the existing employees might reveal whats really going on out there. Either way, doesn't represent the city and people of Dunedin very well! Well...the parking lot comments do. Not the first time ive hard these kind of stories. We just got to ChCh when we traavel. Cheaper and more options.