A Cleveland City Council memo released Tuesday said that Council Member Joe Jones “likely violated” workplace policies and engaged in a “sustained pattern of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior.”
The disclosure is the latest release of information about an investigation by the law firm McDonald Hopkins. Council hired the firm after employees and an outside agency said that Jones made inappropriate comments to an artist about her appearance and mistreated staff.
Jones issued a “blanket denial” but did not sit for an interview with the law firm, the memo said. The council member has not returned multiple messages from Signal Cleveland and declined to comment when approached after a City Council meeting this week.
The memo was written by a City Council attorney, according to information included in the PDF file. It summarized a Jan. 13 meeting about the investigation between Jones, Council President Blaine Griffin and Council Clerk Patricia Britt, a council spokesperson said.
Council has not released the full McDonald Hopkins report, arguing that it is protected by attorney-client privilege. But council did release McDonald Hopkins’ summary of the complaints along with the memo.
According to the council memo, McDonald Hopkins interviewed five complainants and “all witnesses were found credible; none of the allegations were found to be false.” The complaints said that Jones yelled at a staffer and pounded the table in a meeting, for instance.
Jones’ behavior “likely violated” council’s workplace violence and sexual and non-sexual harassment policies, the memo said. The memo said that the investigation found a “sustained pattern of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior…adversely impacting workplace morale, employee confidence and integrity.”
Jones must receive one-on-one coaching from a workplace behavior specialist and be suspended indefinitely from committee assignments, the memo said. Council could censure him publicly if he fails to complete the training or engages in unprofessional behavior, the memo said.
Cleveland’s charter permits council to punish or expel members for disorderly conduct or a violation of council rules. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote, and the member must be given a chance to answer the charges against him. Council’s current rules lay out a $100 fine and expulsion as potential punishments for unexcused absences but not for other rule violations.
Jones last week resigned as chair of the Mayor’s Appointment Committee, which reviews nominees for boards and commissions. He has also stepped down from his other committees – including the vice chairmanship of the Safety Committee, which oversees legislation and spending on police, fire and EMS.
In a Jan. 15 letter of resignation from the appointments committee, Jones did not mention the publicity surrounding the McDonald Hopkins investigation.
“After careful consideration, I believe this step is necessary to allow me to focus on other pressing responsibilities and priorities that require my full attention,” the resignation letter read.
