By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Main Street director Sherri Anderson has offered to forego litigation against the city of Fayetteville for a $125,000 out of court settlement.

In a March 1 letter, Anderson's attorney Lee Parks urged the city to give the proposal “careful consideration,” and said Anderson would “forego litigation until March 15 [today] in the hope the city will agree that an amicable settlement is preferable to litigation given these circumstances.”

In January, Anderson filed a formal complaint against then city manager Michael Bryant, alleging that Bryant had sexually harassed her and created a hostile working environment.

A subsequent investigation by McDonough lawyer Greg Futch was cut short Feb. 17 when Bryant signed a separation agreement with the city, approved by City Council the night before. The city agreed to end its investigation, and Bryant agreed to resign and not to sue the city.

Bryant has since said that he is considering suing Anderson.

In a March 25 letter, Parks states Anderson's intention to pursue a claim for money damages, and argues that the city should not have cut short its investigation. “It is incumbent upon the city to fully investigate these types of allegations and to reach a conclusion,“ he wrote. “I would hope the city has not prematurely terminated the investigation in exchange for the resignation of the city manager. Such tactics should not be engaged in if the investigation was truly intended to uncover [whether] sexual harassment is truly genuine.

“The fact that the city has not yet `completed' the so-called `independent' investigation,” he added, “would indicate to me that the investigation was not at all independent.”

In the March 1 settlement offer, Parks adds, “It is startling that the city would afford Mr. Bryant such a substantial severance package under these circumstances. I would hope that it will also recognize its liability to the victims of the sexual harassment engaged in by Mr. Bryant.”