Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Complaints cause two state officials to lose their jobs

Female administrator charged one of the men with sexual harassment

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners revealed Tuesday that two top Department of Conservation and Natural Resources administrators lost their jobs last year after sexual harassment complaints were filed against one of them by a female administrator.

Members revealed Michael Turnipseed, director of the agency, voluntarily retired and Freeman Johnson, his deputy, resigned in the summer of 2004 following complaints filed by Jolaine Johnson, then deputy director of the Division of Environmental Protection.

Jolaine Johnson was given a $149,000 settlement by the board in exchange for dropping a potential $1 million lawsuit against the state.

She had made several complaints of sexual harassment against Freeman Johnson and then later alleged that, because of those complaints, she was not given the job as director of her division.

Under the settlement, Jolaine Johnson will be given a special position with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

"You need to look carefully at this agency," Jolaine Johnson's lawyer Cal Dunlap told the board. "Fairness to women in this state is at stake." His client filed the complaints within the office and with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Dunlap added that several other women had made sexual harassment complaints against Freeman Johnson.

"There were a variety of women who had problems against him a number of times, including our client," Dunlap said.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, chairman of the board, expressed dismay that situations of sexual harassment occur in state government. He said he wants administrators to take swift action to protect people who bring claims and, if necessary, fire those who are shown to have committed sexual harassment.

"I don't want us to end up in this position every time there is a promotion," he added.

Guinn said his staff investigated the charges, although he said he does not know specifically what Freeman Johnson was accused of doing.

A Department of Conservation and Natural Resources official warned board members of talking about the charges because the investigation was confidential.

The governor had praised Turnipseed for his 20 years of state service last year in a news release announcing his retirement. Freeman Johnson at the time only said he was let go for failing to get along with people in state government.

Turnipseed was not accused of sexual harassment, but served as Freeman Johnson's supervisor.

During the meeting, Deputy Attorney General Jeff Parker maintained "everything was done the way it should have been done" in investigating the complaints.

Parker added that at least 15 other cases of sexual harassment complaints have been investigated, and no claims for compensation were brought before the Board of Examiners.

"The state has done everything it needs to do to protect it from any further problems," Parker said.

He said the liability of the state could have been much more than $149,000 if the case was taken to court.