Former

Fayetteville city manager Michael Bryant is

considering legal action against at least one

city employee who recently charged him with

creating a hostile working environment.

"We

did not rule out taking legal action against the

people who made these false allegations,"

said Ben Mathis of Freeman, Mathis & Gary, an

Atlanta law firm that has represented Bryant

during a city investigation into the complaints.

City

Main Street director Sherri Anderson and

accounting clerk Amanda Jones filed letters with

the city in January accusing Bryant of sexual

harassment and retaliation. Anderson's letter was

written by her lawyer, A. Lee Parks.

Among

the allegations are charges that Bryant

frequently invited Anderson and Jones to go out

socially after work hours and, in Anderson's

case, retaliated by humiliating her and

attempting to get her to resign when she declined

his invitations.

The

women also accused Bryant of making sexually

loaded comments.

Saying

the letters were "full of half truths and

inaccuracies," lawyer Mathis said Bryant may

have to file suit to restore his reputation.

"Sometimes it takes a lawsuit to flush out

the full truth," he said.

City

Council Jan. 12 placed Bryant on administrative

leave and city attorney David Winkle hired

another lawyer to conduct an investigation.

Winkle

said last week that Anderson also is seeking

monetary damages from the city.

Depositions

were scheduled in the investigation Feb. 14, but

were called off because city lawyers had worked

out a an agreement in which Bryant would resign

his post in exchange for 14 weeks' pay,

continuation of medical insurance, accrued

vacation and an end to the investigation.

City

Council approved the agreement Feb. 16 and Bryant

signed it the next day.

Bryant

said this week he chose to resign rather than put

the city through a protracted proceeding.

"We

have made too much progress and accomplished too

many positive projects to allow this situation to

occur," said Bryant in a written statement.

"It became clear two weeks ago that in order

for me to defend myself against these outrageous

statements I would have to create an environment

where employees would testify against employees,

and friends would testify against friends, thus

leaving an unacceptable work environment at the

conclusion of the process," the statement

said.

"The

statements being made are false or, in some

cases, taken out of context," Bryant added.

City

officials Friday released the two letters, along

with Bryant's personnel file and copies of his

separation agreement, in response to open records

requests from The Citizen and the Atlanta

Journal-Constitution.

State

law holds that records involved in an ongoing

investigation of this type can be withheld until

ten days after the investigation is concluded.

City officials called reporters to City Hall at 5

p.m. Friday to release the documents.

The

Citizen has filed suit claiming that parts of the

Jan. 12 closed meeting at which council discussed

Bryant's suspension were in violation of the

Georgia Open Meetings Act, and seeking all

documents and information involved in the

investigation that ensued.

Anderson's

and Jones' letters ar e at www.TheCitizenNews.com .

Bryant

said Monday he is beginning to explore job

options, adding he has no animosity toward the

city.

"I

assure you that I have only the utmost respect

for mayor and council and the position they have

been placed in," said his written statement.

"The employees of the city of Fayetteville

are conscientious and loyal and dedicated to the

development of a quality product for the citizens

of Fayetteville.

"I

will not," he added, "be part of a

situation in which I bring a negative to what is

a positive community."

<!--

-----------