Posted on 07/14/2005 9:21:17 PM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE -- Investigators looking into a complaint of sexual harassment against outgoing Correction Commissioner Quenton White shredded documents in the case.
The Tennessean newspaper reported that notes were shredded by the state attorney looking into an allegation -- found to be without merit -- that White had sexually harassed an employee.
The investigation was run by Personnel Department General Counsel Kae Carpenter, who also shredded documents in an investigation into a sexual harassment against the governor's chief lobbyist, Mack Cooper, the newspaper reported.
White resigned Wednesday, citing negative publicity. Gov. Phil Bredesen said White's departure had nothing to do with sexual harassment.
Bredesen dismissed Cooper from his post as chief lobbyist earlier this year and publicly condemned his actions.
The sexual harassment claim against White came in 2004 after Andrea Conte, the governor's wife, was contacted. She forwarded the information to the governor's office.
Bredesen's top attorney, Robert Cooper, then sent a memo to Carpenter asking her to look into it.
"In anticipation of any future litigation that might arise from this matter, I am herby directing your office to conduct a thorough investigation into this allegation and to report your findings to me," Cooper wrote to Carpenter.
Bredesen said the claim was found to have no merit, but there was no way to independently confirm that because Carpenter's notes were shredded, The Tennessean reported.
Personnel Department spokeswoman Lola Potter said there is no strict policy on whether to shred notes in sexual harassment investigations.
"These are claims that can run the gamut, anything from creating a hostile environment to sexual harassment," she said. "The decision on whether to take notes or destroy notes you've taken are done on a case by case basis."
She said often cases involving employees covered by a union receive more documentation. Those involving employees that serve at the discretion of the governor, including high-ranking officials, generally receive less documentation.
The top Republican in the state legislature, state Sen. Ron Ramsey, condemned the office's move to shred documents.
"You should not be destroying documents. If it's not a cover-up, it starts to look like one," said Ramsey, who is considering a run against Bredesen in the 2006 gubernatorial race.
State Democratic Chairman Bob Tuke defended the policy.
"It's good practice when such notes would implicate innocent people. It's done all the time," said Tuke, an attorney.
Administration officials have not released details in either the Cooper or White cases.
Bredesen has said sexual harassment is a problem in state government, and has proposed a change in public records law to allow them to redact victim names from investigation documents while releasing records to the investigations.
The Tennessean wasn't initially given the little that did exist in the White case when it asked for information on the last 10 sexual harassment cases investigated by the state Personnel Department.
The state said Thursday that the information was made public after Bredesen discussed White's issue with reporters. Two other files still have not been released, with the state citing attorney-client privilege.
There are more than 200 reasons the state can deny a reporter or a citizen access to government documents, including attorney-client privilege.
This is pretty damn fishy.
Quenton White
Whate else is new corruption in gov't is now a common everyday occurance. Especially RAT controled gov't.
Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Quenton White has applied to become the next president of Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., his alma mater. White, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Phil Bredesen in January 2003, said yesterday in an interview that he had applied for the president's job at the request of a Southern University official.
"In the course and scope of one's life, very seldom does the opportunity come to hold a job that you covet," White said. "… Because of my love for the university, and a vision I have always had for the heights that the university could achieve, I believe I would be an excellent leader."
Uh huh...
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