San Diego County Board Agrees to Pay Three Settlements against Supervisor
Three former county employees allege that Supervisor Dave Roberts promoted a hostile work environment.
The payments going to the trio of settlements totals $310,000. The announcement also came with sharp criticism from the County’s other supervisors criticizing Roberts of "at a minimum," showing poor judgment with staff members, making inconsistent statements and then reneging on a promise to settle the claims with private funds.
A county-led investigation also mentioned but could not conclusively prove "a hostile work environment, an alleged bribe, campaigning on county time, improper use of a county vehicle, and retaliation against District 3 staff members."
The three claimants, one being Roberts’ former chief of staff, had sought over $1 million in compensation and the county fears that they would win those cases. The supervisors’ settlement statement reads, “we believe it is unlikely we would prevail on all three claims."
A statement from Roberts’ reads, “"Now that the settlement has taken place, we are moving forward. While I strongly oppose the action taken today by a majority of the Board of Supervisors, I respect my colleagues' right to make such a decision. …
My staff and I will continue to work hard delivering results for the people of the Third District as I have strived to do since my first day in office."
The full story on San Diego’s hostile work place settlement, read here.
Image Credit: Flickr User Pictures-of-Money, https://flic.kr/p/sjxpEJ via CC BY 2.0
