Mike Morrissey on Leave
This just in! This just in! Michael Morrissey placed on Administrative Leave.
As you read in the previous post, Mr. Morrissey is in the middle of a rather messy legal issue involving a former Wausau employee who it appears that he terminated. This whole saga is really quite ugly; both sides have spoken in the media using unflattering terms about one another, claiming inappropriate relationships on the staff, violation of city policies regarding cellphones and text messaging, and even accusing people of stealing funds. For some of the details please see the Jasurda document (PDF) regarding her allegations of an unsafe workplace.
It is my opinion that Mr. Morrissey is being used as a pawn in this power struggle. While I cannot substantiate it as anything other than a theory, the idea of this lawsuit and all these allegations coming forward at this time cannot be seen as a random event. I find it too convenient that this all is starting to coincide with the election.
This is the statement issued by Mayor Tipple. Clearly more is to come. It appears that this evening’s City Council meeting may have some fireworks.
Michael Morrissey Leave (PDF)
Matthew said:
I don’t know how Jasurda can claim discrimination based on gender when the entire community development staff seems to be women.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:49 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
Dino: I believe you are right on the money with the timing thing. In fact, if I remember right (and I could be wrong, as my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be) I believe a “big controvesy” involving a disgruntled employee broke about 4 years ago when the then Mayor Lawrence was challenged for her seat…just around the time of that election. Hmmmm…if I were an investigative reporter (do we have those here, or they just reporters?)I would be checking the archives on that…would be an interesting take on the present situation…any similarities? I know the same scenerio happened just before the Council election 2 years ago…a complaint was suddenly filed against Rosenberg. Interesting timing again.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:12 pm #
Jim Rosenberg said:
Ummm….. Yes. And I have offered a theory on what I see as a common denominator in each of the situations you mentioned. But hey, what do I know? I have a Bozo haircut, you know?
http://tinyurl.com/yn9xjx
And here we thought the Supreme Court race was bad.
March 26th, 2008 at 4:18 am #
Katie said:
No…no. I think Eddy the barber does a nice job curbing the Bozo tendencies of your hairstyle. But in all honesty, I’d rather be a clown than a misanthropist–or related to one for that matter.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:02 am #
lindalaw said:
political timing? yes. angry people will do angry things. however, this doesn’t diminish the affair between the c/d director and his employee, for whom he advocated a $13,000+ promotion to be his assistant. department heads have had sexual harassment training and the c/d director’s poor judgement here opened the city to tremendous liability. you just don’t sleep with your employee!! duh. the unpaid text message charges, while not in the thousands of $$, constitutes a form of theft and both people should be under “investigation”.it’s not the sum, it’s the act; frankly I don’t blame Ms. Jasurda for being angry. seems like due process was missing there.
March 26th, 2008 at 7:41 am #
Tom Neal said:
lindalaw … with respect …
WDH article says: “Fish’s promotion from business development director to his assistant increased her salary by $3,550 to a total of $62,500 a year.”
Was the “he advocated a $13,000+ promotion” just a mistype on your part or did he push for $13K and settle for $3.5K? Or was WDH wrong with its figure? Just a disconnect there.
I’m in no way naive (okay maybe a little), but I’m inclined to take assertions of sleeping and affairs with a grain of salt unless there’s substantiation to back it up (i.e. blue dress, pics, witnesses). Texting is doodling; sleeping is canoodling. We, as the public, don’t know for sure which “oodle” we’re looking at right now. We’re certainly in for “oodles of fun” as this shakes down.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:58 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I want to be clear on this, the increase in pay for Ms. Fish was in fact 3.5 K, not 13 K as alleged here.
It is clear that the issue at hand is a bad thing, Mr. Morrissey is accused of doing something that is very bad.
I am not diminishing it at all. I am very sure that this is a story that has legs, and will not go away.
I also believe that there is a common denominator in all of this as well. I do not believe that this is just a pretend thing, like the Rosenberg ethics shenaningans of years ago, I believe that Morrissey in fact did something wrong that warrants this activity.
It even feels more serious than the charges laid at the feet of former Mayor Lawrence even longer ago.
This seems much more serious.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:25 am #
Tom Neal said:
believing … is not knowing.
accusing … is not proving.
-but-
seeing … is believing.
-and-
fishing … is fun for the whole family.
March 26th, 2008 at 10:22 am #
lindalaw said:
The $13,000+ was what Mike REQUESTED for the position at an early stage when it was going straight to common council, not through personnel committee (to do a position needs analysis) OR the finance committee, which would determine the source of funding (room tax had been used for Fish’s salary). That is not “SOP”. I learned about this I contacted a number of personnel committee members and Maryann Groat. It THEN went through channels and was approved but reduced to a $3500/year increase.
As for the “blue dress”, I guess one might have to speak w/either a spouse in question or get copies of the text messages a la Mayor Kirkpatrick/Beatty and figure it out.
What a department head does on his/her own time is private EXCEPT when it (1) jeopardizes the city from a lawsuit perspective; (2) when a promotion is involved, no matter what the end $$; and (3) when it affects performance. All three are met here, as I believe would be determined by an investigation. As for the cost of text messages a la city, these should be reimbursed monthly to the city without question, as should personal long distance calls.
I’ve always liked both parties in question - all three, really - but there are consequences for certain work-related behaviors - as Ms. Jasurda learned - when likeability and achievement accolades don’t balance “sex for promotion” and a form of theft.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:23 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Linda, that is a big bomb right there.
Is this accurate…Mr. Morrissey went around the SOP to create a raise for Ms. Fish. The procedure, even at the time was as you outlined here, and he sought to take it directly to common council.
Is this accurate? Is that what you are saying happened while you were Mayor?
March 26th, 2008 at 2:28 pm #
anonemoose said:
This is fascinating reading. I enjoy all the commentary a great deal. However, please forgive my ignorance but what is a blue dress?
moose
March 26th, 2008 at 2:36 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
It is the Clinton referance
March 26th, 2008 at 2:40 pm #
Tom Neal said:
Blue dress … as in Monica’s proof of Bill’s indiscretion.
Anyway, wow. Thank you, Linda, for your follow-up.
I wonder if other sources of local news will feature this angle of the story to this degree. CW and its contributors are adding an interesting alternative perspective to this election.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:50 pm #
anonemoose said:
Dino and Tom - I thank you both.
moose
March 26th, 2008 at 3:01 pm #
Barry Liss said:
So, uh, to paraphrase Mike M from the complaint ‘Bozo, what the FUCK were you thinking with that haircut!’
Seriously, has a sexual affair been alleged? I read the complaint and there is no mention of a sexual affair.
thanks, Barry
March 26th, 2008 at 4:03 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that the implication of hand holding somehow leads to an affair.
Though, I am not sure.
March 26th, 2008 at 4:07 pm #
Barry Liss said:
I’m sorry Dino…could you specify where you found the information pertaining to Morrisey and Fish holding hands…an alleged sexual affair changes the dynamics of things considerably…Linda, careful what you say sister…
Barry
March 26th, 2008 at 4:32 pm #
lindalaw said:
I can’t be sure when the push for her raise happened; I think in May/June 2006… shortly after the election because some of the H/R committee members had just taken office for the first time.
The relationship between them has been common knowledge at city hall for some time; from one of the spouses in an attempt to deal with the situation. Morale at c/h dropped to an all time low when the new position was created and the employee in question pushed through, along with a hoped for $13,000+ raise. Employees contacted me exasperated and desperate for advice. That’s when the issue went through committee(s) where it had always belonged.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:08 pm #
erik said:
A big point of evidence in terms of the nature of the relationship between Morrissey and Ms. Fish will be the nature of those text messages. Those can come out in one of two ways:
1) A Freedom of Information Act type action can be invoked by some local media.
2) It goes to trial and the defense demands them as evidence(I believe that’s the right word) the text messages as evidence.
We talked to Jasurda’s attorney today and he informed us that they have already contacted the cell company and confirmed those messages can be retrieved even if they have been deleted on the phones they were sent to and from.
Also we’ve got rumors, and maybe a CWer can help out with this: that Ms. Hadley was already talking about “court cases” in City Hall on WSAU before this went public. Currently our attempts to obtain a recording of this conversation has proved futile. Needless to say if this rumor is true it could blow this into a full blown conspiracy.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:25 pm #
erik said:
Wow, there’s a horrible typo above. haha, I mean to say
“2) It goes to trial and the defense subpoenas them as evidence(I believe that’s the right word).”
That’s what I get for typing that in two sittings :D
March 26th, 2008 at 5:28 pm #
erik said:
Bah, The Prosecution!
I give up on typing today.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:29 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Erik,
I am pretty sure Pat and Tom record there shows. They post some of it online.
Put the News Director on the record, ask him the question, did Hadley say something?
See what he says.
The WDH staff was there as well. Put them on the record.
Thanks for the info Linda.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:41 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Barry,
Sorry, I am trying to track down where the hand holding is in my notes. I got a ton of crap about this, and some of it is unverified, and the like. It was an unfair line, sorry it all blurred together.
March 26th, 2008 at 5:44 pm #
Barry Liss said:
It’s ok Dino…I think Linda has supplied the warrant for said affair…all’s I have to say is, oi (Yiddish, rhymes with boy…)…good luck everyone…
Barry
March 26th, 2008 at 6:30 pm #
wausaujon said:
Everything about this story just screams to me “Bureaucracy!”
Oh yeah… Ny the way, I saw Tipple out tippling tonight! Guess we all like our drink!
March 26th, 2008 at 9:06 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
How does it scream that? A man, on his own, is alleged to act improperly.
Where is the bureacracy in that?
March 26th, 2008 at 9:40 pm #
erik said:
Dino: Thanks. We got a hold of some management today and I guess she was speaking on an entirely different case. So no big huge conspiracy to speak of at the moment.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:14 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I assumed so. There is admittedly always a lot of litigation that roams the halls of any and all city halls.
Did that rhyme?
March 27th, 2008 at 9:20 am #
gray said:
erik: I musta been mistaken then when I was listening to 55 feedback and heard them discussing
the “lawsuits” that day…including the Jasurda one. I would think the station wouldn’t hesitate to give out the tape (good advertising?) but if they won’t and if you’re still looking for one I know they give a copy to any guest on the show so Deb H. would have a copy & am sure she wouldn’t have a problem sharing it with you (more advertising for her too!).
March 27th, 2008 at 6:57 pm #