Main

Street director Sherri Anderson has offered to

forego litigation against the city of

Fayetteville for a $125,000 out of court

settlement.

In

a March 1 letter, Anderson's attorney Lee Parks

urged the city to give the proposal "careful

consideration," and said Anderson would

"forego litigation until March 15 [today] in

the hope the city will agree that an amicable

settlement is preferable to litigation given

these circumstances."

In

January, Anderson filed a formal complaint

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.

Bryant

has since said that he is considering suing

Anderson.

In

a March 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. "I would hope the city has not

prematurely terminated the investigation in

exchange for the resignation of the city manager.

Such tactics should not be engaged in if the

investigation was truly intended to uncover

[whether] sexual harassment is truly genuine.

"The

fact that the city has not yet `completed' the

so-called `independent' investigation," he

added, "would indicate to me that the

investigation was not at all independent."

In

the March 1 settlement offer, Parks adds,

"It is startling that the city would afford

Mr. Bryant such a substantial severance package

under these circumstances. I would hope that it

will also recognize its liability to the victims

of the sexual harassment engaged in by Mr.

Bryant."

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