Tampa city officials are out with the results of a 7-month-long investigation into sexual harassment allegations against a member of city council.
In August of 2021, the city's HR Department received 19 specific allegations of abuse and harassment from a city employee involving council chairman Orlando Gudes. As Gudes is an elected official, who does not report to the mayor or other department head, the city hired an outside law firm to look into the matter, and found the employee to to be credible.
The independent firm concluded that 18 of the allegations appeared more likely than not to have occurred. An attorney for Gudes has denied the allegations, and said he apologized for anything that caused the employee, described as a longtime friend, any discomfort. Mayor Jane Castor says if he were a city employee, he would be fired over the allegations.
The city administration has no authority to discipline or take action against an elected official, but the employee who filed the complaint has a couple of options. The employee does have the right to file a discrimination complaint with the EEOC, the Florida Commission on Human Rights, or the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Statement from Mayor Jane Castor:
"Since Orlando Gudes is an elected official, I have no authority over him. However, if he were a city employee, he would be fired over these credible and corroborated sexual harassment revelations. I know from many years in law enforcement that it takes a great deal of courage for a victim to make harassment and hostile work environment allegations against any supervisor, let alone one as powerful as a city council chairman.”
photo credit: City of Tampa