Missing pages from a private investigation into City of Joplin, Missouri, council members have been released. Months ago, the media received the original report minus the missing pages.
The focus of the missing pages appears to be on a former city manager and his confrontational management style, which has been characterized harshly by city employees. Some have testified that the man intimidated his employees and caused a hostile work environment for underlings.
Other highlights from the formerly redacted report include claims of city employees who stated that they had seen the former city manager physically “grabbing and shaking” his wife and that it was the testimony of some employees that “the people on the second floor talk about seeing bruises” on his wife. Still another employee claimed to witness his manager “confront and physically push (his wife) in the lower level of the old city hall.”
The private investigator concluded that during the man’s final four years of service, he had “too much concentration of power,” which contributed to his being unable to achieve future goals related to his employment. The investigator said that he was very difficult to work for because of his propensity to create a hostile and demeaning environment through fear and intimidation.
The former city manager also allegedly breached state laws and city codes by moving an account without first securing bids after the manager at a local tire store didn’t move him to the front of the line when he brought his personal vehicle in to be serviced.
The Joplin city manager was fired in February 2014 after the city council voted five to four during a meeting and has gone on to another position in Texas.
Employees who are subjected to sexual harassment or hostile working environments where fear and intimidation are employed to keep them in line may choose to consult with an employment law attorney to review their options.
Source: Four States Homepage, “Joplin City Council Investigation Report” Felicia Lawrence, Apr. 04, 2014
