Gee, ya think, Anthony? And you put the city there by listening to the city manager and city attorney, then sending your don’t-harass-the-help email.
Now councilwoman Susan Burgress (!?!) is leading the charge to have the Charlotte city council investigate itself to find out about and deal with any sexual harassers on the panel. How? With a report. Odd indeed.
Meanwhile, the UPoR runs with three unnamed city staff members outing Warren Turner as the cause of the mayor’s email blast. Details:
Mayor Anthony Foxx’s recent e-mail to Charlotte City Council members warning them about sexual harassment came after a female staffer complained about inappropriate behavior by council member Warren Turner, according to three city officials. … The three officials who said Turner was the reason for the e-mail asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, they said.
The staff member didn’t make a formal complaint because she wanted the issue to go away, according to two of the officials.
Super. More to investigate! Then this turn of events at the city council meeting, according to WCNC:
Council member Warren Turner blocked immediate action, calling the inquiry “a waste of the taxpayer’s money.”
In a later interview, Turner said he was not trying to hide anything, but felt the investigation could result in a lawsuit if the employee who made the claim is inadvertently identified.
“I think we very well could be violating people’s privacy,” Turner told NewsChannel 36. “If they had a private conversation with an individual that did not file a complaint, then it should remain in that context.”
Turner later voted with the rest of council to discuss the outside investigation at a meeting on April 12.
That is going to be some meeting. Odd, even.
