Santa Rosa council censures member after investigator finds harassment tied to a workplace relationship

The Santa Rosa City Council on Dec. 10 publicly censured Councilmember Diana McDonald after an outside investigator found McDonald violated the city's anti-harassment policy by directing negative and offensive behavior toward city employees related to a publicly known consensual relationship with a city employee and attempting to influence an operational decision that the investigator concluded could benefit that partner.

Special counsel Jennica Maldonado summarized the investigator's findings to the council, saying the investigator “determined that council member McDonald first engaged in negative behavior towards city employees because of her consensual relationship,” and that McDonald “made unwelcome comments” and attempted to influence an operational decision. The city attorney's office said the…