By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Fayetteville Main Street director Sherri Anderson said this week she is not satisfied with the city's handling of her sexual harassment and retaliation complaint against former city manager Michael Bryant.

“I feel that the city has not responded as well as it should have,” said Anderson. “They have left me entirely unprotected.

Anderson wants the city to pay her legal bills and to reinstate three days of pay that she was docked following the Christmas holidays.

And she wants city officials to make public statements of support, she said. “I am shocked that I would receive no more support than that,” Anderson told The Citizen Monday, adding that she had expected council members to state publicly that they will not tolerate sexual harassment.

Harassment has been alleged but not proved, according to city officials.

City Council Feb. 16 approved a separation agreement allowing Bryant to resign and ending its month-long investigation into allegations that Bryant had sexually harassed two female employees and retaliated against Anderson when she declined invitations to go out socially.

Anderson was docked three days' pay when she returned to work three days later than expected after New Year's Day, according to sources, but she said Monday that Bryant had verbally approved the extra days as vacation time.

When she returned to work to find that she was being disciplined, “I was shocked,” said Anderson.

When Anderson came to work the following Monday, she laid a letter on Bryant's desk from her lawyer, A. Lee Parks, threatening legal action.

City officials also received a “To Whom it May Concern” letter from accounting clerk Amanda Jones, stating that Bryant also had sexually harassed her. Both letters, along with Bryant's statement, are printed in The Citizen's opinion section today.

In response to open records requests from The Citizen and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the city has released copies of the letters from Jones and Anderson, along with Bryant's personnel file and a copy of the separation agreement with Bryant.

But city attorney David Winkle has thus far refused to release any records obtained in the investigation by lawyer Greg Futch, or to answer questions about their existence.

Anderson said Monday that Futch interviewed several witnesses at City Hall and took notes.

The Citizen has filed suit seeking all records connected with the investigation, and alleging that the City Council illegally received information in the case during an executive session Jan. 12 before placing Bryant on administrative leave.