The

city of Fayetteville has declined Main Street

director Sherri Anderson's request for a $125,000

settlement of her sexual harassment grievance

against former city manager Michael Bryant.

Bryant's

recent resignation following a month-long city

investigation of her complaint "fully

resolves the issues," said Mayor Kenneth

Steele.

Steele

read his memorandum to Anderson into the record

at the City Council's regular business meeting

Monday night. "His resignation effectively

removes him from the city's work place and from a

position where he could in any manner affect your

employment status or environment," Steele's

memorandum states.

"Since

this resignation fully resolves the issues which

prompted your grievance (you complained of the

conduct of no other city employee) and removes

the need to reach the merits of your grievance's

allegations, the city is concluding the process

with this memorandum," the statement

continues.

"Your

invocation of the city's grievance procedure in

order to communicate your employment issue is

appreciated and you are encouraged to use it in

the future if it becomes necessary," it

concludes.

In

a March 1 letter from her lawyer, Lee Parks,

Anderson had offered to forego litigation against

the city in exchange for the proposed settlement.

In

January, Anderson filed a formal grievance

against then city manager Michael Bryant,

alleging that Bryant had sexually harassed her

and created a hostile working environment.

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.

In

a Feb. 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.

Neither

Parks nor Anderson has returned phone calls from

The Citizen.

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