Manatee schools attorney ordered to take sexual harassment training after investigation
Mitchell Teitelbaum, general counsel for the School District of Manatee County, will have to complete three courses on sexual harassment and workplace sensitivity within the next 30 days, after an internal investigation found he made “unwelcome comments.”
Superintendent Cynthia Saunders placed the attorney on paid administrative leave last week. In a letter dated Jan. 16, Saunders referenced “unwelcome comments made to employees of an outside agency.”
“As general counsel of the School District of Manatee County, you are expected and directed to hold yourself to a higher standard of conduct,” she wrote. “The situation you created has compromised the district and the integrity of your work.”
School board attorney Stephen Dye conducted the investigation because Teitelbaum oversees the Office of Professional Standards, which usually reviews complaints against district employees. The final report said Teitelbaum would take a course in “sensitivity/sexual harassment training in the workplace.”
“I am deeply apologetic for any statements I have made that were deemed inappropriate,” he said in a prepared statement, sent through district spokesman Mike Barber on Friday morning.
“That was never my intent,” Teitelbaum continued. “This has been a lifetime learning experience for me and there will be no reoccurrence (sic) on my part. Moving forward, I will hold myself to the highest professional standards possible. I am grateful for the support of the School Board members and Superintendent and I will work fervently and faithfully to justify that support.”
Citing two state statutes, the district provided a redacted copy of the investigation, which censored the name of all complainants.
“Personal identifying information of the alleged victim in an allegation of sexual harassment is confidential and exempt,” one of the statutes read.
The investigation started with a phone call to Saunders on Jan. 10, when the agency relayed several complaints from a current and former employee. Some of the complaints revolved around “flirting, oversharing and comments on appearance,” according to the investigation.
The agency said it was “only requesting that Mr. Teitelbaum change the manner in which he communicated,” and that no further action would be taken, Dye reported.
“I was not able to interview the actual parties complaining about Mr. Teitelbaum’s behavior and therefore it’s hearsay and being presented by corporate managers who are concerned with their own liability,” the report states.
In his interview with the school board attorney, Teitelbaum referenced his marriage and three children, claiming he had “no interest in a personal relationship” with the complainants.
“The superintendent and I both counseled Mr. Teitelbaum on the manner in which he personally interacts with people including school district staff and that he needed to interact in a more professional and less casual fashion,” the report states.
“There are no in house complaints concerning Mr. Teitelbaum’s communication or conduct from any district staff,” it concluded.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 10:26 AM.