Superintendent Accuses School Board Member Of Sexual Harassment

SARASOTA, FL - Sarasota County School Superintendent Todd Bowden has accused School Board member Shirley Brown of sexual harassment after she reportedly said that he and the teachers’ union executive director “needed to get laid, but that would be sexual harassment” while discussing the status of contract negotiations.

In his letter dated Jan. 22, Bowden called Brown’s comments “inappropriate and offensive,” the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. “As one of my bosses, you know that any commentary about my sex life is out of bounds. Further, for you to tie my sex life to the district’s issues with the union is not only illogical but highly offensive,” Bowden wrote in his letter. “Even made in a joking manner, such comments are wholly inappropriate. I do not want to make this an issue so I write this as a personal note to you solely to make you aware that you cannot make such comments. I trust that there will be no further comments and that we consider this resolved.”

Brown responded in a letter to Bowden: “I am writing to let you know how surprised I was to receive your letter,” Brown wrote. “I had called you to let you know how worried I was about the tenor of the negotiations with SC/TA and the possible implications it may have on our upcoming referendum election. I asked you to call an executive session before your next negotiating meeting scheduled for January 29th. You strongly disagreed with me and refused to do so. I do not recall anything that I said that may be considered out of bounds. I discussed this matter with my husband who could overhear my side of the conversation and he agreed with me. I hope that in the future I can disagree with you without the threat of such letters alleging misconduct. I find that it stands in the way of the productive, working relationship that our positions require.”

Read the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's story here.

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