Sexual Harassment Investigation Targets Turner
The report states that, “it is the opinion of the Investigators that sufficient evidence exists to conclude that Council Member Turner likely directed sexually inappropriate comments to Employee A.”
“While there are certain conflicting factual accounts, we find Employee A’s statements to our investigation team to be credible and consistent, especially when viewed in light of the substantial number of unrelated but factually similar incidents recounted by other witnesses,” the report states.
“By contrast,” the report continues, “it appears that at times Council Member Turner was less than fully truthful when responding to questions from the investigative team.”
The report also indicates that Turner tried on two occasions to interfere with McDowell’s investigation and, strangely, references Turner’s alleged fondness for drinking Crown Royal whiskey while traveling for city council matters.
Employee A had complained of Turner’s behavior on two occasions prior to the alleged incident last December. The first incident, according to the report, occurred in February 2008 when Turner allegedly made an inappropriate comment about a picture of actor Shemar Moore on the employee’s coffee mug in her office. When Turner asked about the photo, the employee said it was her motivation, to which Turner allegedly replied, “You don’t need that, I should be your motivation. You need a real man to be your motivation.”
According to the employee, Turner then leaned out of the office and called to another employee, “Isn’t that right? She needs a real man to be her motivation.”
The employee said Turner also had asked her where she went to college and in response to her answer had replied, “See, that’s your problem right there. They don’t have any real men at those schools. Your real motivation is right here.”
Turner told investigators that he remembered asking about the employee’s coffee mug, but denied making any inappropriate remarks. The other employee referenced by Employee A was interviewed by investigators and did not recall hearing any comments from Turner.
Employee A said that she, along with her supervisor (Employee B), spoke to McCarley about the incident shortly after it occurred, and the city attorney stated that he “needed to know what her comfort level was in working with [Turner] and what further action she wanted the city to take, if any,” according to the report. The employee told McCarley she didn’t think the incident warranted “processing any paperwork” and she didn’t want to make a formal complaint.
Employee A also told investigators that in September 2008, after a community meeting hosted by Turner, the councilmember had met her fiancé. The employee said Turner later visited her office and said, “The guy you introduced me to, did you say he was your fiancé? I need to know who would want to marry you. He needs to come and talk to me so I can give him advice on how to deal with you.”
Tuner denied making the comment.
According to the report, Employee B (Employee A’s supervisor) had previously made a complaint about Turner’s behavior during a 2006 city council trip for a National League of Cities event in Reno, Nevada. Employee B alleged that Turner “made a sexually explicit comment to her as they passed a hotel store displaying pornographic magazines,” according to the report.
Employee B said at the time she informed then-city manager Syfert and McCarley about Turner’s comment without relaying its explicit substance, and said she didn’t want to make a formal complaint “that might make it more difficult to perform her job responsibilities,” but that she wanted Syfert’s support if she felt she needed to “stand up” to Turner, according to the report.
“According to Employee B,” the report reads, “Syfert assured her that she would be supported in such an event. Employee B stated that she has worked to avoid being alone with [Turner] since this incident.”
Syfert said she recalled having a meeting with McCarley and Employee B following the 2006 Reno conference, but could not recall “the substance of the comment [Turner] was alleged to have said,” according to the report. Syfert did not recall receiving any other complaints regarding Turner during her tenure with the city.
Oddly, the report makes no mention of investigators having interviewed Pat McCrory, who was mayor at the time Employee B alleges the incident occurred. McCrory is currently employed by the same law firm as McDowell, who conducted the investigation. McCrory, a white Republican, is also considered politically supportive of Turner.
The report also states that another city employee – identified only as Employee C – stated that Turner had made sexually inappropriate comments to her on more than one occasion. The employee told investigators that she was not comfortable disclosing the specific comments because she thought revealing that information would reveal her identity and negatively impact her employment. The employee said she had never previously reported the comments for the same reasons.
Tuner denied ever making any such comments.
Another employee – identified in the report as Employee D – confirmed that Employee C had “ contemporaneously reported to her general gender and/or sexually inappropriate comments” made by Turner, according to the report.
Employee D also said that “on one occasion several years ago, Turner had approached her in a “public workspace and stated: ‘If I wasn’t married …’ at which point Employee D cut him off believing that such a discussion was not appropriate for the workplace,” according to the report.
Turner denied making the comments.
To date, no formal complaint by any city staffer has been officially filed against Turner.
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