Cleveland City Council members who violate workplace policies could face discipline under a new set of standards circulated by Council President Blaine Griffin. Members also must attend annual anti-harassment and sensitivity training or risk losing money they can spend on ward projects.
Griffin shared the new policies Feb. 7. The changes come after council acknowledged that it had hired a law firm to investigate complaints that Council Member Joes Jones had acted inappropriately with staff and an outside organization. Jones issued an apology statement at the end of January.
“This effort is not about addressing one specific incident or individual,” Griffin wrote in a memo accompanying the new policies. “We are committed to making cultural changes that strengthen how we work together as a legislative body and how this body works with its staff members.”
The policies apply to council members and council staff – a workforce that currently numbers around 60 people. The council president asked staff and members to sign an acknowledgement that they had received the policies.
While the sexual harassment and workplace violence policies were already in place, the disciplinary process is new. Griffin has previously said he had few options for holding members accountable for misconduct.
What’s in City Council’s new policies?
Council members who skip out on the annual anti-harassment and sensitivity training would lose their committee assignments and the money they receive for local projects, such as casino tax revenue.
Council’s new standard of conduct policy prohibits acts described as “disruptive, unproductive, unethical or illegal, as well as all inappropriate and unprofessional behavior.” The policy bans a long list of behavior, including abusing authority, uninvited physical contact, bullying, nepotism and “fighting on City Council property at any time.”
The packet distributed to council members and staff also included preexisting sexual harassment and workplace violence policies that were amended Feb. 7.
The sexual harassment policy gives employees three avenues for reporting complaints. They can report directly to Council Clerk Patricia Britt, to a designated third party or via an online portal. A council spokesperson said that the portal is being set up.
“No council member or employee will be subject to reprisal or retaliation for making a complaint of harassment or for cooperating in an investigation of a complaint of harassment,” the policy said. “However, council members or employees who knowingly provide false information or make an untrue statement of fact regarding such a complaint violate this policy.”
Discipline for elected or appointed City Council members
Council members who violate the policies now could face discipline including a written reprimand, mandatory behavioral training and suspension from committees. The highest level of discipline listed is a public censure by City Council.
All complaints against council members would be reviewed internally and investigated by a third party, the policy said.
Read the policies below:
