By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Former Fayetteville city manager Michael Bryant is considering legal action against at least one city employee who recently charged him with creating a hostile working environment.

“We did not rule out taking legal action against the people who made these false allegations,” said Ben Mathis of Freeman, Mathis & Gary, an Atlanta law firm that has represented Bryant during a city investigation into the complaints.

City Main Street director Sherri Anderson and accounting clerk Amanda Jones filed letters with the city in January accusing Bryant of sexual harassment and retaliation. Anderson's letter was written by her lawyer, A. Lee Parks.

Among the allegations are charges that Bryant frequently invited Anderson and Jones to go out socially after work hours and, in Anderson's case, retaliated by humiliating her and attempting to get her to resign when she declined his invitations.

The women also accused Bryant of making sexually loaded comments.

Saying the letters were “full of half truths and inaccuracies,” lawyer Mathis said Bryant may have to file suit to restore his reputation. “Sometimes it takes a lawsuit to flush out the full truth,” he said.

City Council Jan. 12 placed Bryant on administrative leave and city attorney David Winkle hired another lawyer to conduct an investigation.

Winkle said last week that Anderson also is seeking monetary damages from the city.

Depositions were scheduled in the investigation Feb. 14, but were called off because city lawyers had worked out a an agreement in which Bryant would resign his post in exchange for 14 weeks' pay, continuation of medical insurance, accrued vacation and an end to the investigation.

City Council approved the agreement Feb. 16 and Bryant signed it the next day.

Bryant said this week he chose to resign rather than put the city through a protracted proceeding.

“We have made too much progress and accomplished too many positive projects to allow this situation to occur,” said Bryant in a written statement. “It became clear two weeks ago that in order for me to defend myself against these outrageous statements I would have to create an environment where employees would testify against employees, and friends would testify against friends, thus leaving an unacceptable work environment at the conclusion of the process,” the statement said.

“The statements being made are false or, in some cases, taken out of context,” Bryant added.

City officials Friday released the two letters, along with Bryant's personnel file and copies of his separation agreement, in response to open records requests from The Citizen and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

State law holds that records involved in an ongoing investigation of this type can be withheld until ten days after the investigation is concluded. City officials called reporters to City Hall at 5 p.m. Friday to release the documents.

The Citizen has filed suit claiming that parts of the Jan. 12 closed meeting at which council discussed Bryant's suspension were in violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act, and seeking all documents and information involved in the investigation that ensued.

Anderson's and Jones' letters are at www.TheCitizenNews.com.

Bryant said Monday he is beginning to explore job options, adding he has no animosity toward the city.

“I assure you that I have only the utmost respect for mayor and council and the position they have been placed in,” said his written statement. “The employees of the city of Fayetteville are conscientious and loyal and dedicated to the development of a quality product for the citizens of Fayetteville.

“I will not,” he added, “be part of a situation in which I bring a negative to what is a positive community.”