Sexual Harassment Investigation Targets Turner
“We’re left with what we’re left with,” Foxx said. The mayor also said that from the time he first learned of the allegations, his comments and actions were shaped by his interest in protecting the city from liability.
The report, in fact, indicates that city officials, including former city manager Pam Syfert, current city manager Curt Walton, human resources director Tim Mayes, and city attorney Mac McCarley, have for years been juggling and debating what to do regarding informal complaints from staff that alleged inappropriate behavior by Turner, including the female staffer whose complaint apparently triggered Foxx’s e-mail to councilmembers and set in motion events that ultimately led to the investigation.
Turner on three separate occasions had allegedly made inappropriate sexual remarks directed at the female employee, according to the report. The most recent occurred last December, when the female city staffer – identified only as Employee A in the report – said she encountered Turner in the government center office of Councilmember James Mitchell, a black Democrat, where she had gone to deliver copies of a document he had requested. The employee stated she had heard Turner was looking for her and asked if he needed anything. Turner, the employee said, replied, “No, I just wanted to make sure you were doing your job.”
As she left the office, the employee claims that “Council Member Turner reached out and pulled at her sweater at waist level,” according to the report. The employee claims that Mitchell later called to thank her for delivering the copies and also said, “Oh and by the way, I saw what [Council Member Turner] did, and that was very inappropriate on his part.”
Turner confirmed to investigators that he was present in Mitchell’s office on the day the alleged incident took place, but said the female staffer was not present and he “categorically denied” the allegations about touching her. Mitchell’s recollection of events falls along similar lines. He said that he couldn’t recall any time at which Turner and the female employee were both present in his office at the same time, and stated that he did not recall ever seeing Turner touch the female employee or any article of her clothing. Mitchell also denied ever telling the employee that Turner’s conduct was inappropriate.
The incident was reported last December to Walton, who met with Employee A and her supervisor (identified in the report as Employee B), who said the employee had related the incident to her. After that meeting, Walton said he spoke with city attorney McCarley and was advised to contact human resources director Mayes. Walton also said he informed Foxx about the allegation lodged by Employee A, as well as a prior alleged incident between Employee B and Turner that had taken place in 2006.
Walton said that based on his conversation with the mayor, he felt Foxx would determine an appropriate response.
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