20
Wednesday,May18,2016The Nugget Newspaper,Sisters,Oregon
REPORT: Investigator
interviewedmanager
andstaff
Continued from page 1
with Gorayeb resigning his
post effective April 28, and
receivingaseverancepackage
amounting to slightly under
$114,000.
In agreeing to release the
investigator’s report, Mayor
Chris Frye said, “I felt the
majority of citizens wanted
answers.”
Analysis of the report
allowssomeanswerstocome
clear. Others — particularly
whythecitychosetoprovide
alargepayouttoanemployee
whoresigned—remainhard
todiscern.
Examining the report and
itsexecutivesummarymakes
it immediately clear why
council deliberations took
several weeks. The situation
at City Hall was far from
clear-cut.
“The majority of
employees feel Andrew
Gorayeb’s leadership has
been a positive change for
Sisters and explained he
has created an atmosphere
of empowerment among
employees,” investigator
Ashley O. Driscoll wrote
in her executive summary
report (see full executive
summary accompanying
the online version of this
article at www.nuggetnews.
com). “These employees
appreciatehisstraightforward,
performance-based critiques
and value that he addresses
employee performance
issues…. (E)very employee
interviewed noted Sisters is
amoreproductiveworkplace
under Gorayeb’s leadership
and many employees also
commented Gorayeb is
exceedingly supportive of
them.”
Andyet…
Driscoll also noted,
“Despitethepositivechanges
Gorayeb has implemented at
the City, some of his actions
haveundoubtedlycontributed
to a negative working
environment.”
None of those actions,
according to Driscoll, rose
to the level of violating
policies on bullying and
harassment.Somedidviolate
the City’s “Encouraged
Conduct”policy,whichurges
employees to be “fair and
courteous” to co-workers,
citizens, employees, elected
officialsandthirdpartieswho
dobusinesswiththeCity.
These actions were issues
of Gorayeb’s comportment,
some of which made even
supporters uncomfortable
—thoughtheyputmuchless
weight on them than other
employees.Complicatingthe
matter was the perception
amongsomeCityemployees
that “those who have issues
with Gorayeb’s management
style have failed to meet the
new, higher standard at the
City.”
Driscoll reports, “During
the interviews, this set
of employees was more
concerned (that) those who
filed complaints would have
job security because any
employment action taken
against them — no matter
how justified — could be
interpretedasretaliatory.”
Driscoll’s investigation
established that Gorayeb
disparaged past employees
and gave derogatory
nicknames to them and to
members of the community.
He also reportedly made
unprofessional comments
about them. She found
that Gorayeb “developed
nicknames — ‘Nurse
Ratched,’ ‘Wicked Witch,’
‘Medusa’ and ‘Broomhilda’
— for former employees,
councilors, and others in the
communityforwhomhehad
little regard.” In her report
Driscollsaid,“IfindGorayeb
used the nicknames both
openlyandfrequently.”
She found that on one
occasion, he publicly
disparaged an employee’s
work product. Several
employees,
including
supporters, found that
inappropriate.
Driscoll also found that
Gorayeb contributed to a
negative environment by
asking employees to “thank
him” for “managing out”
a former employee and
“throwingacelebratoryparty
tocommemorateanemployee
leaving.”
Gorayeb’s memory and
interpretation of some of
these events is at odds with
thatofseveralstaffmembers.
Gorayeb acknowledged
that he “commented that a
former employee may have
usedatackonanofficewall
to hang himself,” which
Driscoll found “served
no purpose other than to
demean(aformeremployee)
and make others in the
room uncomfortable.” In
his interview with Driscoll,
Gorayeb recognized that this
was “a stupid remark.” He
attributed the inappropriate
comment to being “a
byproductofstressrelatedto
his relationship with a few
members of Council.” He
reported that one councilor
had “given him scathing
reviews and (redacted) had
called him a liar. Gorayeb
stated that this situation has
caused him a great deal of
stress, and as a result he has
made some inappropriate
comments.”
Driscoll also found it
“problematic” — but not a
violation of policy — that
Gorayeb was “chilling
employees from expressing
viewsabouttheCityManager
ortheCity.”
An area where findings
were ambiguous was in
how Gorayeb approached a
situationthathadpotentialfor
conflict of interest concerns.
Driscollfoundnowrongdoing
or inappropriate conduct —
but there did appear to be a
Sisters salutes...
• Congratulations to
Marcella “Rose” Williams,
eighth-grader at Redmond
Proficiency Academy.
Rose was recently inducted
into the National Junior
Honor Society, Redmond
Proficiency Chapter, on
Tuesday evening, May 10.
Rose is finishing middle
school strong with a 4.0
GPA three years in a row
while earning four high
school credits to take
with her next fall for her
photo provided
freshman year. Rose serves
asavolunteerfortheSisters Marcella “Rose” Williams.
Library and will volunteer
as Junior Lifeguard
• Many thanks to Gail
Assistant with Bend Parks Butler and Les Schell for
and Recreation during the excellent instruction
summer.
theypresentmonthlyinthe
The National Junior AmericanHeartAssociation
Honor Society (NJHSS) First Aid/CPR class at
recognizes
h i g h e s t - the Sisters Fire Hall.
achieving students and is Also thanks to Fire Chief
based on the five pillars Roger Johnson for his
of scholarship, service, commitment to offer
leadership, character and this course to residents
citizenship. To learn more of Sisters Country on a
about NJHS, go to www. frequentbasisforanominal
njhs.us.
fee.
Classifieds are online at
NuggetNews.com
Celebr ating 41 Years in
Sisters!
152 E. Main Ave. • 541-549-8771
See REPORT on page 23
FALL SPORTS
REGISTRATION
DEADLINE
APPROACHING!
Two Great
Hosted Trips!
MS Soccer and
6 th Grade Football.
Chile Trip -
February 2017
Best Trout Fishing
in the World!
Registration
Deadline:
June 1.
Belize Trip
March 2017
Amazing lodge
for couples.
Travel and fl y fi sh where you’ve
always dreamed of going.
Sistersrecreation.com
1750 W. Mckinney Butte Rd. | 541-549-2091
View activities & classes and register online!
www.SistersRecreation.com
SNO CAP
151 W. Main Ave., Sisters
541-549-FISH | Open 7 days a week
MINI STORAGE
Sisters Industrial Park
157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575
www.SistersStorage.com
• State-of-the-art
Security Technology
• Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40
• Individual Gate Codes
• Long-term Discounts
• On-site Manager