Contra Costa Supes Could Censure Assessor Over Sexual Harassment Claims
MARTINEZ (CBS SF) -- The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider censuring Gus Kramer, the county's longtime assessor, in light of allegations of sexual harassment involving two female workers in the assessor's office.
The censure - an official judgment involving condemnation, as defined by Merriam-Webster - would be largely symbolic, being as Kramer's position is an elected one. But the supervisors' resolution says all county departments must provide harassment-free workplaces.
"This is what the board expects of all of its department heads, whether they are appointed or elected," according to one passage in the supervisors' resolution.
The supervisors' planned action comes after an Aug. 5 story by the Bay Area News Group about a county-commissioned investigator's report that it is "more likely than not" that Kramer harassed two female employees in his department on several occasions from 2008 until 2015.
The resolution before the county supervisors Tuesday also calls for complaints against Kramer to also be referred to the county's civil grand jury for possible further investigation
County Associate Appraiser Margaret Eychner had filed a complaint against Kramer in 2015, which was never formally pursued. Eychner filed a new complaint against Kramer June 18 detailing various actions she considers to be sexual harassment, according to the Bay Area News Group. A second woman, whose identity hasn't been made public, filed a similar complaint in 2015, as well, alleging harassment
Kramer, who has served as assessor since 1994, was also the subject of a sexual harassment complaint in 2000. The county reached a $1 million settlement with the women in 2009 after a jury found Kramer had retaliated against her for filing the original 2000 complaint.
The supervisors' meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the supervisors' chamber in the county administration building, 651 Pine St. in downtown Martinez.