LaVERGNE, Tenn. -- Three city workers in LaVergne are on administrative leave after being accused of making racial comments to other employees.

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The workers, who are from different departments, were suspended by the mayor.

In one incident, Pam McKenzie had gone to the hearing for one of the people who is accused of firing bullets at her home in the Lake Forest subdivision.

She asked one of her neighbors to go to court with her for support, and the two of them claim police investigator Cpl. Jerry Lynn Champion asked them questions about McKenzie’s son, who had been arrested after being accused of lying to police.

That’s when they said Champion made the controversial comment.

"Her exact comment was, 'You know, first Ms. McKenzie shows up at court with a black man; now she’s showing up at court with a white man. I don’t know what to think,'" said Ken Rabideau, who filed the complaint.

The police department investigated and found no wrongdoing. But Mayor Ronnie Erwin reopened the investigation plus two others against city employees.

During the investigation, the city’s top codes official, Tom Haley, was placed on administrative leave when he was accused of making racial comments to a former codes inspector, who is black and wanted to remain anonymous.

"He asked if his N is back there, except he said the word," he said.

The man said the comments continued for almost seven months. The man making the accusations was later fired.

The third city worker, Ricky Quinn, a Public Works employee, was also placed on leave after being accused of using the N-word after making a delivery to another city department.

"The city’s got to step up and show that we will not tolerate this at all in any department. The citizens have got to know that," Erwin said.

Because of the incidents, city employees are now required to take sensitivity training.