Malibu Makes Findings On Harassment Investigation Public

MALIBU, CA — The city of Malibu released the findings of an investigation into harassment allegations made by former city manager Reva Feldman against Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Silverstein.

The council unanimously voted to make the report public at their Jan. 24 meeting, citing the importance of transparency and moving forward. Silverstein recused himself from the discussion and vote.

The independent investigation, conducted by Ellis Investigations, found a lack of evidence to support Silverstein mistreated Feldman "because of her gender," despite his communications with her being "frequently hostile and unprofessional," according to the report. Evidence did not show Silverstein had mistreated other women or showed deference to men, according to the report.

"The evidence, however, did not support that Mr. Silverstein’s conduct involved a gender-based animus toward Ms. Feldman. Rather, it reflected Mr. Silverstein’s dissatisfaction with Ms. Feldman’s performance in managing the City and that they disagreed over various business issues," the investigation reads.

Ten members of the public spoke at the Jan. 24 meeting, the majority asking for the report to be made public.

"If we're ever going to move past this regrettable chapter in Malibu's history, we need to know what the findings are in that report and we need to put this behind us and get on with the business of governing Malibu and in order to do that we need to let the light in on this," Malibu resident Suzanne Guldimann said.

Council members agreed releasing the report would be an important step in favor of transparency.

The council also released notes on closed-session legal advice related to the investigation, something council member Steve Uhring pushed heavily for at the Jan. 24 meeting.

Background

The city of Malibu received a letter from Feldman's attorney on Jan. 16 2021 claiming Silverstein had mistreated Feldman because of her gender, overwhelming her with work and making "disparaging comments," according to the investigation report. The letter sought a separation agreement and buyout of her contract.

Silverstein and Feldman's issues date back farther than 2021. The two disagreed on many matters after the 2018 Woolsey Fire and Silverstein's 2020 city council campaign platform included removing Feldman from her post, according to the report.

Feldman left her post and accepted a $150,000 payout in May 2021, with a potential addition of $150,000 if she didn't find employment shortly after. She agreed to not sue the city.

At the time, city council unanimously approved Feldman's separation agreement, council member Karen Farrer said at the Jan. 24 council meeting.