Former Lewisville fire inspector said she was wrongly terminated

LEWISVILLE, Texas — There are greater than 30 therapeutic massage companies in Lewisville. Fire inspectors routinely go in to verify they’re as much as code.

“Fire, life and safety is my goal as a fire inspector, and if I walk into something that is not in my lane I have to report it to the property authorities,” said Meredith Motes, former inspector.

Motes, a now former Lewisville Fire Inspector, said she thought she was doing the best factor when she informed supervisors and police what she noticed whereas inspecting a number of the companies.

“I went ahead and opened the door up and laying on table was a naked man with a lady on top of him and she was naked as well,” said Motes.

Motes said in March 2020 she took photos inside one of many companies and despatched an e-mail to her bosses which her lawyer supplied to us. She detailed what she noticed rooms with beds that seemed like girls had been residing there.

“All their belongings in that one room, crammed in there, medicine you name it. Everything they owned was in that strip center massage parlor,” said Motes.

WFAA went to the identical enterprise to see if they’d remark. But we weren’t allowed within the again to see for ourselves.

However, at a second location the place Motes said she additionally noticed makeshift residing areas and witnessed what seemed to be sexual exercise, WFAA was allowed inside.

An worker took us on a tour and said that the enterprise had not too long ago modified administration and the cots had been eliminated however did inform us girls are generally allowed to sleep there.

”They not simply residing right here however they’ve a home possibly three hours away and possibly simply go dwelling per week and keep right here per week after which go dwelling,” said the worker. 

Motes said she had taken coaching courses on methods to spot human trafficking.

She said for 2 years she continued to report what she noticed however was informed nothing was going to be finished by police. Instead, they needed her to put in writing tickets.

”They need fire inspections to go in and write tickets to the ladies residing in there and if potential get to the enterprise proprietor and write a ticket for residing in an unlivable house,” said Motes.

Motes said she talked to a pal about her frustrations that a number of the therapeutic massage companies continued to function.

She said her pal contacted the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, who then contacted her to say their human trafficking job pressure would look into it.

Motes said when Lewisville police discovered about that, she said her supervisors began an inside affairs investigation.

Eventually, she was fired for insubordination, not being truthful and telling her co-workers she was underneath investigation.

“She didn’t talk about the case in any respect however they’ve thrown that in as a result of they’re looking for some bases to terminate her,” said Bob Gorsky, an lawyer.

Gorsky has represented police and firefighters for many years and calls her termination ridiculous.

“We are going to search out out why they shut this challenge down and why they shut her down,” said Gorsky.

The City of Lewisville despatched us an announcement saying they don’t talk about personnel issues, “The Lewisville Police Department takes allegations of human trafficking very seriously and all such allegations are investigated.”

They said human trafficking instances are complicated and prolonged to analyze and said they not too long ago raided one place and arrested somebody.

Motes said that’s not sufficient. For her, there’s a greater drawback, and said she received’t keep silent. Motes plans to attraction her firing.