Former communications staffer asks Sammamish council for public apology after court ruled suspension unjustified

At the start of the March 18 meeting, a former Sammamish communications employee, identified in public comment as Sayu (Siri) Wu, told council the city manager placed her on unpaid suspension in August 2022 after she responded to a local news inquiry and sought HR support regarding workplace conduct. She said a judge later ruled the suspension unjustified and asked the council to add a public-apology item to a future agenda.

Wu described bringing concerns to human resources in 2022 about the city manager’s treatment of the communications team and said her return-to-work was made contingent on signing a “last chance” agreement. She said the city paid legal costs defending the suspension and that a court concluded the suspension “was based on an erroneous set of facts and placed plaintiff in an unjustified and vulnerable position.” (The transcript provided the judge’s language during Wu’s remarks.)

Wu asked the council to place a public-apology agenda item for her and a former colleague, and said she was sharing court documents and correspondence with the council and the local newspaper. She also alleged a pattern of defamatory social-media commentary tied to local actors and asked the council to consider the history when deciding whether to schedule an apology.

Mayor Karen Howe closed public comment after several speakers and did not announce an item response at that meeting. No formal council action was recorded on the request during the March 18 meeting.

Ending: The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; the speaker said she would email the council and the local paper and asked staff to add the apology request to a future agenda.