Amid ongoing disputes that have rattled a city office at the center of complaints for months, a grievance is pending in which a worker claims unfair treatment, discrimination and that he was denied a deserved promotion.
Sabri Akter, who describes himself as a senior member specialist in the Hartford pension unit, which is part of the city treasurer operation, describes an alleged chaotic process during which annual performance reviews were skipped, recommendations for promotions were ignored and merit raises were bypassed.
Requests for comment were sent to Treasurer Adam Cloud, who was not in office during the time period Akter refers to in the grievance, and to the office of Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. A mayoral staffer said the mayor does not comment on personnel matters in the treasurer’s office.
Akter did not respond to a request for comment.
According to Akter’s grievance, him being denied the promotion to the position of assistant plan administrator for the pension unit, a decision made by then Treasurer Carmen Sierra, was inconsistent with his “documented performance” and “directly contradicts” evaluations made by his supervisor, Nicole Plessy-Cloud, as well as violating Pension Commission policy regarding “annual reviews.”
“Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding this denial and the bypassing of a qualified merit raise that was not granted in connection with the evaluation causes serious concerns, including disparate treatment and discrimination based on race and gender,” Akter said in the grievance.
Sierra is no longer treasurer; she stepped down in July amid sharp criticisms by then members of the Pension Commission and a pending audit. Sierra cited personal reasons for leaving the elected position and has strongly defended her actions while in office. A federal subpoena was issued for the office after her retirement.
Akter noted that he had “dedicated almost seven years to this department, consistently performing at an exemplary level, receiving three formal performance evaluations during my tenure. In every single evaluation, my performance was rated as ‘exceeded expectations.’”
According to Akter, Plessy-Cloud had, as his supervisor, “repeatedly vouched for my capabilities in all areas,” and had “explicitly stated that I possess the necessary managerial, supervisory and operational skills required for this promotion, even noting that I am fully capable of stepping into her own role,” all of which has been documented.
“In Nicole’s absence, I have performed not only my duties as the senior member specialist and Assistant Plan Administrator, but also as the Plan Administrator by ensuring that the office continues to function and operate without any interruptions,” Akter wrote in the grievance.
Akter noted he had taken on the role of assistant plan administrator when the Pension Commission made Plessy-Cloud acting plan administrator in December 2022. He wrote that Plessy-Cloud advocated for him to be in an acting role of the APA and to be compensated accordingly.
However, he wrote, while “the Treasurer was enthusiastic and was provided with a list of responsibilities that I had taken on” but that “when Nicole followed up, the Treasurer had a completely different response.”
Akter said at different times Sierra allegedly told him he already was “making good money at my age and that I should be content with my position at that time,” and that while acknowledging he was working beyond and outside his job duties, that he “had already been promoted twice.” Akter alleged that when he pointed out he had not been promoted twice, “it was clear at this point she got upset with me since she began to raise her voice at me after I attempted to correct her statement that I had not in fact been promoted twice.”
Akter then notes that “a department meeting was called, where the Treasurer announced that Chay Iv would assume the role as acting APA without the consultation of Nicole or the Pension Commission.”
The decision on Iv was not without other consternation as well. Iv, who worked as chief administrative officer for the office of the Hartford city treasurer under Sierra, filed a complaint against Plessy Cloud in June, claiming that, as Iv was being appointed as assistant plan administrator at the Pension Commission meeting on June 25, 2026, Plessy Cloud remarked that Iv was “not qualified” for the position.
The commission’s decision on Iv’s job came a little more than a week after news came that a man who had served as employee representative on the embattled municipal pension commission had resigned, citing concerns about the role of the city treasurer as secretary of commission and the extent of her authority under the city charter. An investigator later determined that Iv’s complaint against Plessy Cloud was unfounded, documents obtained by the Courant show.
Following the June 25 Pension Commission meeting, and despite Plessy-Cloud seeking 4.86% increase in her evaluation of him, “the Treasurer gave a 2.7% change in the numerical value,” according to Akter.
According to Akter, Sierra allegedly denied his promotion using the claim that he lacked “managerial, supervisory and operational” experience,” which conflicts “with four years of feedback, tasks completed and the explicit endorsements of my direct supervisor.”
The decision made by the then treasurer, “is inconsistent with my documented performance, directly contradicts my supervisor’s (Nicole Plessy-Cloud) evaluations, and violates Pension Commission policy regarding annual reviews. Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding this denial and the bypassing of a qualified merit raise that was not granted in connection with the evaluation causes serious concerns including disparate treatment and discrimination based on race and gender.”
A message seeking comment was sent to Sierra.
Also with regard to race and gender, Akter wrote, “I have been discriminated against.” He claimed, “The Treasurer, who favors Latinos and Puerto Ricans, and has verbally made it clear that she has issues with males, has discriminated against in both manners.” Akter also quoted information from a City Council meeting this year when Sierra advocated for having a female serve on the Pension Commission.
In the grievance, Akter seeks scheduling and completion of missing annual performance evaluations for the past three years, “with an accurate appraisal reflecting my actual duties and supervisor’s evaluation and the level of success accomplished,” for a full audit of my compensation, with a retroactive salary increase dating back to when my first missed annual review should have occurred; an independent HR investigation into the “Treasurer’s denial of my promotion,” and an independent investigation by the city attorney.
A formal, unbiased review should be done on merit-based promotion standards, and the issues of disparate treatment based on race and gender, he wrote. Akter also seeks for the pension “commission to perform their fiduciary responsibility and review my last evaluation where the Plan Administrator has recommended my promotion to Assistant Plan Administrator.”
Regarding his pay, Akter wrote that a rule on it requires that “all advancements and appointments shall be made according to merit, fitness and other appropriate factors” and that the current “handling of this position completely disregards this mandate.”
On his claim of other treatment, Akter wrote that Sierra “only wanted to put females as well as remove the males and also she stated in a public City Counsel meeting that we need to put a female on the Commission because there has never been representation of a female.” He also cited a Hartford Courant story in which Sierra is quoted as saying, “We have been taking the commission in a new direction with great success, and that may not always be easy for the members of the old boys’ club.”
“By completely ignoring my documented record of ‘exceeded Expectations’ and instead fast-tracking an unproven individual, the Treasurer has weaponized her subjective judgment to bypass the strict meritocracy required by the Commission and the Municipal Code,” he wrote.
