A Lawrenceville city official has been suspended in a sexual harassment scandal. The latest scandal follows on the heels of a similar scandal within Lawrenceville’s police department earlier this year.
Now the director of the Lawrenceville Natural Gas Department is being accused of sexual and homophobic comments. According to the AJC, Todd Hardigree admitted to making sexual jokes and calling male employees “gay.”
An outside firm, Elarbee Thompson, was hired to investigate the claims. This is the same firm that investigated similar claims of sexual harassment within the Lawrenceville Police Department. As a result of that investigation, the Police Chief was forced to resigned and a captain retired.
Now it’s the gas department that is under fire. Employees have said that Hardigree made multiple suggestive comments to female co-workers, and used anti-gay slurs repeatedly.
In a memo discussing Hardigree’s suspension, City Manager Chuck Warbington said that disciplinary action came as a result of a pattern of inappropriate conduct and discriminatory language.
This wasn’t the first time Hardigree has gotten in trouble for his comments. In 2019 he received verbal counseling for comments he made in front of city employees.
Hardigree maintains his innocence in the case and says his comments were not intended to be sexual in nature and were misconstrued. He says the work environment was a casual atmosphere with a lot of joking around. Hardigree asked for a lighter suspension and said that, since last year, he has made efforts to get the department more in line.
It is unclear what the terms are of Hardigree’s suspension.
According to the department’s website, the Lawrenceville Natural Gas Department provides natural gas services for residents of Lawrenceville, as well as parts of Gwinnett, Rockdale and Walton Counties.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2022/6/1106824/lawrenceville-city-official-suspended-for-sexual-harassment-comments