Politics & Government

City OKs Investigation into Mayor Pro-Tem's Alleged 'Bullying' at Royal Oak Animal Shelter

Royal Oak City Commissioners want an outside investigator to determine whether Patricia Capello has violated the City Charter or any ethics ordinances.

An independent investigation soon will be underway to determine whether Mayor Pro-Tem Patricia Capello violated the city's ethics policy.

Late Monday night, the commission voted 5-2 —David Poulton and Peggy Goodwin dissenting — to look into accusations of multiple ethics violations.The complaints come from former employees at the Royal Oak Animal Shelter, dating as far back as 2005 when an unnamed employee accused Capello of harassment and discrimination.

In February, former employee Julie Tirony, raised concerns about Capello in a six-page letter to City Manager Don Johnson. In it, Tirony alleged Capello, who sits on the Animal Shelter Committee, used her commissioner title to bully Tirony and former shelter manager, Lisa Yaeck. Both women resigned last year. 

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Since March, Tirony, Yaeck and former shelter attendant Gina Fraser have participated in public comment at city commission meetings pleading for opening an investigation into Capello's actions.

"We were bullied beyond anything you could probably imagine and because it wasn’t coming from a garden variety volunteer but instead from a city commissioner it was much more intimidating and impossible to ignore," said Yaeck during public comment on April 15. "We were repeatedly ordered around, harassed, openly talked about, berated and intimidated."

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Capello addresses allegations

Capello first addressed Tirony's charges in March after a discussion of changes to the ethics ordinance.

"She has the right to acknowledge and charge as she chooses. I am a public figure," Capello said of Tiorny at the time.

Capello would later ask, and receive unanimous support, to direct the staff to prepare a report regarding the charges against her. City Manager Don Johnson told the commission Monday that to generate such a report would constitute a conflict of interest for himself, the city attorney or any other city employee, and that any fact-finding would have to be done by a third party.

"Members of the city commission essentially are our supervisors," said City Attorney David Gillam, adding the city manager, city attorney and city clerk are directly employed by the city commission.

At the end of an hour-long discussion, Capello voted for an independent investigation into the charges against her but not before making heated statements in her defense.

Capello, who requested a special meeting into alleged inappropriate actions on the part of operation in August, reminded commissioners she predicted retribution.

"But I never, never considered that the attack would be assisted from this table," said Capello, charging the investigation "smelled like a political get-back."

RELATED:

  • Ethics Debate Continues in Royal Oak
  • Ethics Violations Charge Lodged Against Mayor Pro-Tem
  • Commissioners Approve Report Looking into Ethics Violations


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