New York City’s Health Department has taken the blame for the KFC/Taco Bell rat infestation that made national news. (If, though some miracle you haven’t seen the footage yet, i.e. you’ve just come out of a coma or recently regained lost eye-sight, do give it a look. It’s worth it.) Anyhow, the inspector who gave a pass to the KFC/Taco Bell has resigned and the Health Department is, like, really sorry and stuff.

From Newsday:

After a thorough investigation, DOI found a disturbing lack of diligence on the part of the public health sanitarian who inspected the restaurant as well as a breakdown in the supervision of the inspector,” DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said.

The DOI said the inspector, Cemone Thomas, “underreported the rodent-related findings and failed to take proper action … which constituted a ‘gross dereliction’ of her duties.”

On Feb. 22, Thomas documented only 87 rat droppings and didn’t cite an additional 20, which would have caused the restaurant to fail the inspection and could have forced it to close immediately, the DOI said.

The DOI said evidence in the case suggested that Thomas simply couldn’t be bothered to do a more comprehensive report because she might have been trying to “avoid the additional time it would have taken for further enforcement steps.”

Lazy bastard. In other news, we’re reading Rats by Robert Sullivan and we are really enjoying it. —MEGHANN MARCO

Rat reports show NYC health inspection system is flawed [Newsday]
(Photo: Adam Lawrence)

PREVIOUSLY: KFC Taco Bell Rats Gone Wild: Raw Video Footage
Massive Pound-And-A-Half Rats Infest KFC/Taco Bell In The West Village

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