A federal appeals board has upheld the firing of the former director of the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System.
The Veterans Administration terminated James Talton in late October for neglect of duty. He appealed to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. The board has issued a 32-page decision upholding the termination.
In its decision, the board cited Talton for failing to take action against a Central Alabama VA employee who borrowed money from a patient and then drove him to a crack house to obtain drugs in early 2013. Talton's appeal said he wasn't aware of the facts of the case.
The employee who drove the patient to the crack house was removed from his position after the VA placed Talton on administrative leave in August.