TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma’s City Council on Tuesday approved a settlement with longtime Tacoma Public Utilities’ media representative and communications director, who accused the utility of fostering a culture hostile to the interests of female employees.
In November, Chris Gleason, employed with TPU since 2006 and before that with the city, filed a $3 million claim for damages, citing discriminatory practices and denial of equal pay at TPU, among other issues.
A motion to authorize “the city’s full and final settlement of all employment-related claims against the city” for a total of $200,000 was approved at Tuesday’s council meeting without additional comment. The Public Utility Board also approved the claim settlement Feb. 27.
Gleason, when reached Wednesday, did not respond beyond the statement included within the agreement: “The city has amicably resolved my claims by committing to conduct a thorough investigation and taking any necessary corrective action as recommended.
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“The city has recognized my years of service in a manner that enables me to move forward knowing that I have done my best for this agency and the public it serves.”
Under the terms, Gleason is to submit a “nonrevocable letter of resignation” effective May 31 and be on paid leave until that date. In exchange for the release of claims and other terms of the agreement, the city agreed to pay the settlement.
The agreement notes that Gleason “is an employee in good standing and is not resigning in lieu of termination.”
“The main purpose of this paid leave status is to allow (Gleason) to fully participate in the investigation into her allegations,” the agreement notes.
In an interview with The News Tribune in December, Gleason said, "Culturally, it's not an environment that supports or develops women. It's not just pay. It's also access to opportunities in the organization. It's based on this male-dominated, kind of 'bro' culture that exists. It's a hard thing to talk about because there's fear of losing your job or being retaliated against."
She went on to describe that after initially being a member of TPU’s executive team, her department was split in May 2017, and she was demoted in June 2018 with her supervisory responsibilities reduced again.
Gleason said at the time her claim for damages was “about changing an organization that’s gotten by with allowing men to flourish while women sit on the sidelines.”
As The News Tribune reported in December, records of Gleason’s claim include 40 pages of attachments, including internal emails related to her past performance evaluations and a string of emails referring to alleged disparities in pay.
On Wednesday, TPU’s Director Jackie Flowers issued a statement to The News Tribune.
“On March 5, City Council approved a mutually-agreed upon settlement to address claims brought forth by city employee Chris Gleason. We thank Ms. Gleason for her 20 years of service to the City, and wish her well in her future endeavors.
“At TPU we are committed to workplace diversity and equity. We will complete an investigation of the claims brought forth and follow up with any resulting appropriate corrective actions.
“As we continue to refine and improve our levels of service for Tacoma community members, we also continue our efforts to build upon a foundational workplace culture at the City that is safe, respectful, professional, equitable and inclusive.”
KIRO
