Official punished for words at work

Indian Shores' building official loses five days' pay and is put on six months' probation for making sexually offensive comments.

By ERIC STIRGUS

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

INDIAN SHORES -- Town Building Official Mike Nadeau was suspended without pay for five days by the Town Council on Thursday after an internal investigation found he made sexually offensive remarks that were heard by employees.

Nadeau also was put on a probationary period of six months and required to attend sexual harassment and discrimination training.

"It's an embarrassing situation," Mayor Don Taber said after Thursday's special council meeting at Town Hall.

The investigation began last month after two female employees said they heard overheard Nadeau telling a contractor on the telephone "Don't bend over and get the soap, that b---- will get you."

One of the women, Town Finance and Personnel Director Betty Doster, wrote a letter to Town Attorney James Yacavone explaining what she thought Nadeau said. Yacavone began his investigation and released a 62-page report with his findings.

The inquiry swelled from the telephone conversation to include several offensive comments and actions Nadeau is accused of making during the past seven years. Employees said he called someone a "fag," called a woman an obscene name, remarked about the possibility of a town councilor allowing someone to borrow his "hooker" and grabbed an employee against her will and made her sit on his lap.

Nadeau, who was questioned twice during the investigation, admitting making the remark to the contractor and joking that a dog should "pee" on Town Clerk Marcia Register's desk. He said he "regretted" the soap remark, the report says.

Nadeau said he didn't remember grabbing the employee, but if he did he "must have been drunk," according to the report.

He denied the other statements.

Nadeau did not attend the meeting and could not be reached for comment Thursday. He was hired as a full-time employee in November 1993.

Nadeau's current salary is $48,162.

The women who said they overheard the remarks declined to comment.

In the report, Nadeau said he uses language "that can be crude and coarse" on occasion.

"Much of this stems from his many years of experience as a contractor dealing with subcontractors and tradesmen," the report says.

John Susor, a resident who went to the meeting, said Nadeau was not disciplined strongly enough.

"He should have been discharged," he said.

Town officials defended the disciplinary action.

"He does a very good job as building official, but this is an employee issue that needed to be addressed and it was addressed fairly," said Councilor Sandra Shuler.

Nadeau's use of words has been a source of controversy around Town Hall for years, according to the report. Former Mayor Bob McEwen, who had received complaints about the building official, said he counseled Nadeau. McEwen told Yacavone the counseling "produced brief improvements in Mr. Nadeau's attitude and demeanor."

The report did not say when the counseling took place.

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