A mayor of a small South Dakota town has been directed to get a psychological evaluation after creating “a hostile work environment” for city employees.
Bill Griffiths, mayor of Box Elder, a town with population of 7,800 as of 2010, had his head in his hands while the City Council voted to approve the findings of an outside investigation.
Two complaints from city employees prompted the investigation, which found that complaints against Griffiths were correct and that “corrective action is warranted.”
“The mayor shall undergo a psychological evaluation to determine what counseling is necessary to take corrective action,” President Mark Coatney said, reading the findings, at a mid-March council meeting.
Griffiths didn’t respond to calls from the Rapid City Journal, the origin of the story, seeking comment.
Council Vice President Terry Wenrick told the Journal that the complaints involved harassment, and one was sexual in nature. Many city employees would get another job if they could, he added.
“If they could afford not to work here, they’d be quitting,” Wenrick said.
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