Bradenton councilman’s ‘abusive and threatening behavior’ violated city rules, report finds
An investigation into workplace misconduct claims against Bradenton City Councilman Bill Sanders found that his “intimidating, abusive and threatening behavior” may have broken city rules and Florida law.
In an 11-page report reviewed by the Bradenton Herald via a public records request, a labor attorney who looked into the matter at the city’s request said there is substantial evidence to confirm that Sanders routinely berates employees, publicly embarrasses them and tries to coerce them into breaking city protocol for his benefit.
“While he is not a city employee subject to dismissal, if he were a city employee, there is no doubt his employment would be terminated for his egregious, repeated violations of this policy,” the report said, referring to Sanders’ alleged violation of workplace violence rules.
The investigation conducted by the GrayRobinson law firm included nearly 30 interviews with current and former city employees and officials. The city asked the law firm to look into the situation earlier this year after three people filed complaints about Sanders.
Each complaint accused Sanders of being rude and unprofessional. Stephanie Marchman, a labor and employment attorney with GrayRobinson, said she believed those accusations are true and that Sanders violated the city’s code of conduct, Florida’s ethics laws and the city’s rules against workplace violence.
Sanders did not agree to cooperate with the investigation. Marchman said Sanders insisted on “unreasonable” accommodations, such as recording the interview and having his own witness present.
“I insist on my right to defend myself against any allegation and to condition my response is violating my rights...” Sanders told Marchman, according to the report. “Any report without my input should not be considered.”
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald on Monday afternoon, Sanders declined to address the accusations in the report, calling it “a lot of lies and innuendo.” He also criticized the way the report was put together, noting it does not name many of the staffers who made accusations.
“This is a diversion and a political distraction to discredit a sitting councilman that’s trying to get good government and I’m not quitting,” said Sanders, who claimed there was no way to verify any of the complaints raised against him. “They do not scare me. That’s why I came into this office.”
While Marchman did not meet with Sanders as part of the investigation, she noted that she found examples of his “intimidating, abusive and threatening behavior” in audio and video recordings of the Bradenton City Council’s public meetings.
The report recommends the city take “appropriate” action against Sanders but stops short of suggesting what that action should be.
“... It is recommended that the city take any action it deems appropriate to hold Council Member Sanders accountable based on the findings herein and protect city employees from his intimidating, abusive and threatening behavior, as well as his direct requests for city staff support, political or otherwise,” the report says.
Report corroborates mistreatment of city staff
The report is an indictment of Sanders’ behavior toward city workers. Marchman spoke with several staffers who said Sanders yelled at them while blocking the exit of their office. One staffer recalled Sanders becoming so enraged that he “came across the desk” in an attempt to grab her.
At least two city employees shared that they have begun taking medications to address conditions they suffer due to Sanders’ treatment. According to the report, some staffers believe he is harsher toward women, but others describe him as an “equal opportunity bully.”
“City employees consistently reported that no one has ever mistreated them in the manner Council Member Sanders has,” the report said.
City employees also told investigators that Sanders accused them, without evidence, of corruption or lying. Sanders has also been accused of pressuring city employees to post his own personal photos on the government’s social media platforms for political purposes.
In emails previously reviewed by the Bradenton Herald, Sanders pushed back on city staff after they attempted to charge him for a public records request. In response, he told the records custodian to charge the fee to the city.
By urging the city to pay for his “personal public records requests” and asking employees to support his re-election campaign, the report said there is reason to believe Sanders violated the Florida Code of Ethics.
What will happen after the report?
Tensions between Sanders and other city officials, including City Administrator Rob Perry, Mayor Gene Brown and Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan, have risen to a boiling point during recent public meetings.
In June, Brown recessed the public meeting after Sanders brought up the results of a police union survey. During the break, Sanders and Perry traded barbs.
Perry, who filed one of the complaints against Sanders earlier this year, shared the report with council members on Aug. 2. He wrote that he believes, “the report speaks for itself.”
In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Brown said the report confirmed the concerns he’s had about Sanders’ behavior over the past few years. The mayor has publicly criticized Sanders’ behavior during public meetings, accusing him of raising serious allegations without evidence.
“I was not surprised by what was in there, because of what I’ve been dealing with and the city has been dealing with,” Brown said when asked about the report. “I’m there to make sure it’s a safe environment — and all of us should be. It’s important to make sure it’s a safe place to work for the employees.”
The investigation determined that Sanders likely violated several rules, but it does not recommend the steps city officials should take to correct the situation.
Brown said the city attorney and the city administrator are “evaluating all options” to determine what the appropriate action should be.
Sanders, who was first elected to Bradenton City Council in 2018, won a landslide victory against former Councilman Bemis Smith.
In November’s election, Sanders is facing a challenge from two political newcomers, Kurt Landefeld and Lisa Gonzalez Moore.
