A former customer services supervisor at the Rockland post office has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service.
Darron Jeffries of Union claims he was retaliated against by the Postal Service for taking family medical leave. He said he was reassigned to a post office in Augusta and ordered to undertake training that he had already successfully completed.
Jeffries filed the complaint Feb. 23 in the U.S. District Court in Portland.
The former postal supervisor also said the post office removed belongings from his office that included every significant document attesting to his life’s achievements and have not said what happened to the items.
Jeffries had held the customer service supervisor position for more than 18 months. During that time, he mentored two other employees including one at the Owls Head post office, according to the lawsuit.
The Union man had earlier filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. He received approval for the family medical leave from Sept. 12 through Oct. 23, 2025, and took off that time.
On his return, he was denied access to the post office and placed on paid administrative leave.
He was told Oct. 24, 2025, that a full investigation was going to be taken on an allegation that he disobeyed a direct order. The Oct. 24 letter from Officer in Charge Olivia Wade stated that to retain him in duty status would be disruptive to postal operations. He was barred from entering postal facilities except for lobbies as a customer.
Jeffries said he was never notified what order allegedly had been disobeyed. He said in the ensuing four months, no investigation was done and he still does not know the reason for his being placed on leave.
He said his office had been turned into a storage room and the whereabouts of his belongings, including diplomas, Masonic and fraternity certificates, a personally signed letter from President George W. Bush, original birth certificate and baptism certificate, are still unknown.
A back-to-work meeting was held Feb. 19 and he was told he was being assigned to Augusta for training he already successfully completed.
Jeffries is asking the court to restore him to an equivalent position at the Rockland post office as is required under the Family Medical Leave Act.
The Postal Service has not yet filed a response in court.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.