City Harassment Case

The Reno City Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 23 on a $300,000 settlement for two women who accused the city of sexual harassment, retaliation and a hostile work environment.

The long-running case involves two senior managers at the city who made the claims against former City Manager Andrew Clinger. A federal judge tossed most of their complaints, but she allowed the suit to proceed based on a sexually hostile work environment claim.

“As reasonable jury could find that the work environment was subjectively and objectively abusive, based on sex, considering the totality of the circumstances,” wrote Judge Mirandu Du.

The plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Mausert, said in July that he would be taking the matter to trial. The settlement, if approved, could end the case.

The lawsuit showed the upper management at City Hall, under Clinger’s leadership, to have been rife with dysfunction.

The mayor and councilmembers, however, praised the plaintiffs for speaking out. Councilmember Naomi Duerr was critical of City Attorney Karl Hall’s handling of the case.

“I think we owe them a great debt of gratitude for revealing to us the makeup of our city, the fact that we did not have good procedures in place,” she said early in the case. “I want the settlement, if we ever get there, to be about improving this place and restoring the honor of our employees.”