A cut up Laguna Seaside Metropolis Council voted 3-2 to not launch the findings of an investigation into claims by former Metropolis Supervisor Shohreh Dupuis that Councilman George Weiss had discriminated towards her and created a hostile work surroundings.
Dupuis vacated the place on Sept. 1 in accordance with a settlement settlement executed one week earlier, underneath which she acquired $223,077 in addition to 9 months severance pay and well being advantages and $10,000 in authorized charges.
The transfer got here after the previous metropolis chief threatened to sue the town for $3 million, claiming Weiss had exhibited intimidating habits towards her at quite a few personal and public conferences, elevating his voice, interrupting her and, at one level, pounding his fist on the dais.
Based on an Oct. 30 memo despatched to Weiss by an lawyer whose agency was employed to research the matter, Dupuis additional alleged the councilman discriminated towards her and attacked her integrity concerning a controversial Nov. 16, 2022, site visitors cease and her actions within the wake of altercations at two native accommodations in Could.
A report compiling the findings of an impartial investigation, undertaken by Los Angeles-based legislation agency Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, was submitted Aug. 31.
Whereas the council publicly launched the contents of the memo and a number of other closed session minutes, members Tuesday weighed whether or not to additionally launch the report and, if that’s the case, whether or not its contents must be redacted or unredacted.
Greater than a dozen residents talking in public feedback largely defended Weiss towards Dupuis’ claims and urged the town to make the total findings of the report public.
“Launch the report in full to be clear,” stated Gene Felder. “All of us rallied across the metropolis supervisor [in February] as a result of feces was thrown on her home — I don’t imagine that for a second. What’s within the report about that? What really occurred?”
Council members who’d taken half in 4 closed session conferences in July and August, throughout which the phrases of the settlement had been hashed out (Weiss was excluded from the discussions), waived the confidentiality of the periods to elucidate their rationale for settling.
Mayor Bob Whalen offered a timeline of occasions, saying Dupuis lodged her criticism in February. In a July 18 letter, her lawyer threatened to sue for discrimination to the tune of $3 million however provided to settle in change for 33 months of Dupuis’ pay and lawyer’s charges.
The town made a counter supply of 18 months wage plus severance and requested an impartial agency conduct interviews and make findings as to seven claims alleged by the town supervisor.
Laguna Seaside Metropolis Supervisor Shoreh Dupuis palms her license and registration to officer Matt Gregg throughout a site visitors cease on Nov. 16, 2022.
(Courtesy of the Metropolis of Laguna Seaside)
Though a case for discrimination was not supported, Whalen stated the town nonetheless confronted a major danger of publicity if the matter was put to a jury trial.
“Paying her roughly $450,000 was the least costly manner for us to get out of the state of affairs we discovered ourselves in,” he stated Tuesday.
“One of the best curiosity of the general public was reaching a settlement, placing it behind us and transferring ahead to pick out a brand new metropolis supervisor, getting again to conducting the enterprise of the town. I’m nonetheless assured we made one of the best and proper choice.”
Weiss defended his actions and remedy of Dupuis, studying from ready remarks.
“Asking significant questions that check the presumption of the town supervisor and employees shouldn’t be harassment — it’s referred to as practical representational authorities,” he stated. “Mentioning misrepresentations or omissions of information by the town supervisor shouldn’t be bullying, it’s accountability that helps knowledgeable choice making by council.”
When it got here to releasing the findings, Whalen, Mayor Professional Tem Sue Kempf and Councilman Alex Rounaghi supported not releasing the doc, partly, to guard the identities of workers who’d testified for investigators.
“There are situations the place transparency can create chaos in a governing group and, on this case, have a chilling impact on future investigations,” Rounaghi stated. “Nobody within the metropolis would have any cheap expectation of privateness.”
He stated as a result of the choice to settle was made earlier than the findings had been even submitted, releasing the doc would do little to enlighten readers as to the explanations for settling. Additional, a redacted report would hardly fulfill the numerous audio system who insisted on the total findings.
“I believe I’m tremendous simply closing this and transferring on,” he stated forward of a 3-2 vote. “It’s time to maneuver ahead, there are such a lot of huge points for us to work on.”
Weiss, who’d insisted on a full disclosure of the investigation, stated the choice to withhold the findings offered a political cowl for the council majority.
“The need is to be the least clear you could be,” he stated.
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