Firm to review city harassment complaints

Milwaukee officials have hired an outside law firm to assist with an investigation into allegations of harassment and bullying by top administrators in the city Health Department, the Journal Sentinel has learned.

The city Department of Employee Relations hired the Milwaukee law firm of Crivello Carlson on April 10 for up to $25,000, according to the 13-page contract, which was obtained through an open records request. The contract extends through the end of the year.

“The law firm shall provide employment investigation services to the city in regard to personnel matters and/or complaints regarding the Milwaukee Health Department, as required by the Department of Employee Relations,” the contract states.

The city is paying Agatha Raynor, a partner at the firm, $175 per hour, while associate attorney Jasmyne Baynard will earn $160 per hour.

Maria Monteagudo, director of employee relations for the city, confirmed that the city had hired the outside law firm but would not elaborate.

“Since it is an ongoing investigation into a personnel matter, I’m not able to comment further,” Monteagudo said.

Sources told the Journal Sentinel that Crivello Carlson is working with the city attorney’s office on the investigation.

According to agency insiders, at least two Health Department employees filed formal complaints in March accusing top managers of bullying employees, creating a toxic work environment and engaging in harassment.

Sources close to the investigation say there is a “racial component” to the matter.

The Health Department has been racked by turmoil in recent months. Bevan Baker, who led the agency as health commissioner for 13 years, resigned abruptly in January in the wake of revelations about serious problems facing the city’s lead programs.

A city investigation conducted soon after Baker was ousted found staffing shortages, inadequate training, high

turnover and poor coordination contributed to the failure by its lead prevention program to follow up with thousands of families who had lead-poisoned children — or at least failed to document its work. A state report obtained by the Journal Sentinel confirmed those problems and uncovered even more issues.

Mayor Tom Barrett then tried to appoint former health commissioner Paul Nannis to serve as interim head of the agency, but his appointment was blocked by aldermen. Many on the council accused Nannis of being too close to the Barrett administration.

In February, aldermen instead picked Patricia McManus, the president and chief executive officer of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, to serve as interim health commissioner.

A Health Department spokeswoman said McManus was unavailable for an interview.

“This is an ongoing case,” Clarene Mitchell said in an email. “As such, Commissioner McManus does not have any comments at this time.”

The law firm began its work on the investigation March 26, about a month after McManus took over as leader of the troubled department.

Asked about the investigation following a Monday event at City Hall, Barrett said, “We have had our interviews for the health commissioner, and we have several finalists now. So we will be having a decision in the coming weeks if not coming days on who the health commissioner that I nominate will be.”

Barrett also addressed the new scathing state report on troubles at the Health Department, which was first reported by the Journal Sentinel last week. He said he had started the initial process to investigate problems at the agency, and has rapidly tried to fix them.

“I saw that there were problems, and I acted as quickly as possible because I knew that there were serious problems there. That’s why we’ve instituted the changes that we have, that’s why we continue to institute changes,” he said. “The bulk of that report, bear in mind, came from the work that was done in the report that I had ordered earlier this year.”

Barrett said he learned about problems in the city’s lead program the first week of January and acted within four days of discovering them.

“Obviously, once we learned there was a problem, I acted so quickly it was unbelievable,” the mayor said.