As that old song goes, “Second verse, same as the first” (from “Henry the 8th, I am, I am” well before Jesse Neumann’s time), here comes another complaint. For this one, as WELL as the first one, the question is whether the politicized HR department takes them seriously?
Related: Jesse Neuman – A Formal Harassment Grievance Has Been Filed Against Him
After all, RTK Neumann called these two ladies out, didn’t he?
…(notwithstanding Ms. Ortolano and Ms. Colquhoun’s overtly emotional opinions regarding my work)
Again, his words and not mine nor Ms. Ortalano or Colquhoun. He outright called them “hysterical,” in my opinion. And there is a Nashua City employee Harassment Policy that prohibits this behavior. So, of COURSE, grievances should be filed (which reminds me, I have to post up the results of my RTK as well, but that’s for another post). Here is Laura’s (emphasis mine):
Ms. Kleiner
City of Nashua
229 Main Street
Nashua, NH 03060Re: Formal Complaint against Attorney Neumann
Dear Mayor:
Please allow this letter to act as a formal harassment complaint against Attorney Neumann. As a young attorney representing the interests of the City, he must do better than this.
His email to the GraniteGrok where he stated: notwithstanding Ms. Colquhoun’s “overtly emotional opinions” is against the City harassment policy and also incorrect. It demonstrates a sexist attitude that I find offensive. My mother told me to think before you open your mouth. Attorney Neumann should learn this lesson.
Number one, I am not an emotional woman however I am a woman with passion in everything I do. If Attorney Neumann cannot handle residents questioning his sloppy work, maybe he picked the wrong profession.
It appears that Attorney Neumann did not read the City of Nashua’s Harassment Policy because if he did he would have known that “the harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co- worker, or a non-employee”. Attorney Neumann’s email to the GraniteGrok, calling me “hysterical” is offensive to me and violated the City Harassment Policy.
Attorney Neumann should understand that when a Nashua resident asks a question they expect a professional answer from an attorney representing the City of Nashua. He should also realize that it is the Nashua taxpayers who are the ones’ paying his salary. Attorney Neumann should rethink his deny, delay and discredit approach to handling public information requests. Currently his work shows that he will do anything to get out of answering a Nashua resident question and that is showing that he is not qualified to handle the job.
I would suggest that the City of Nashua have Attorney Neumann participate in training to better understand gender sensitive remarks and the offense they create. I am requesting this letter be placed in Attorney Neumann’s personnel file.
It is sad that the City of Nashua would allow any attorney to treat their residents with such low regard; I view this as a top down problem.
Very truly yours,
Laura Colquhoun
The Harassment Policy definitively points out that offensive is in the viewpoint of the recipient. While his demand to take his (formally) publicly shared visage of him down was sent to both Steve and me, it was I that shared it with both ladies. And if he’s complaining about this, I’ve already chided him that our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) plainly state that we may post any email sent to us.
Of COURSE, it was seen by those he mocked.
Decisions have consequences, and bad decisions yield bad results. Now, we wait to see what Nashua’s Human Resources Department will do. Will it be “professional” or political in handling both of these grievances?
What the real issue here is, besides the rudeness of a Nashua City employee, is Jesse Neumann has also opened up the issue of “Who really is the Public Master and the Public Servant”?
Neumann is supposed to be the latter, while the two ladies are part of the Public Masters.
The government is supposed to be representing us, who give our consent to their actions. Otherwise, their governance becomes illegitimate. No, not over a single event like this – that would be silly. However, we see “single events” happening all over the nation, and the frequency of such is rising rapidly. Just at our just held GrokMeetup, we had three, four, five instances reported. And that’s just from a tiny sample of folks (but to be clear, self-selected politically active and motivated ). Now, start to extrapolate….and that’s a problem that isn’t going away any time soon.
As of yet, I have no information that Nashua’s Right To Know Coordinator Jesse Neumann has not yet apologized:
- to either lady
- to Steve and I for trying to hide behind his Navy service (which, IMHO, he used as a political cudgel)
….To Be Continued.
