This story was originally published by WFDD.
A month after former Greensboro City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba abruptly resigned this spring, the city agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle “claims of unwanted touching” made against him by one of his direct reports.
In a settlement with the female employee, the city agreed to pay $165,000 to address the claims and $10,000 in wages, plus all unused paid time off that she had accrued. It also agreed to pay an additional $45,000 to her attorney to cover legal fees.
The document, which has not been made public until now, makes clear that the payment should not be interpreted “as an admission by the city of any liability, wrongdoing, or unlawful conduct of any kind.”
The settlement bars the employee and the city from taking legal action or making disparaging remarks against each other – or against former city employees.
The employee resigned from her role just before the settlement was signed. Due to the sensitive nature of the claims described in the document, WFDD is not identifying her. She declined to comment on the matter.
It is unclear whether the allegations outlined in the settlement are connected to Jaiyeoba’s departure. He did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The city of Greensboro also declined an interview request about the settlement, but provided a written statement on behalf of People and Culture Director Jamiah Waterman:
“While settlement agreements are public record, under state law, the City is legally prohibited from disclosing any details. Our organization remains committed to maintaining a safe, fair and supportive workplace for all employees.”
City Attorney Chuck Watts, who was among several Greensboro officials to sign the settlement, also declined to comment on the claims, saying “There's a criminal violation for disclosure of HR information of government employees.”
City manager’s abrupt resignation
In March, neither Jaiyeoba nor the city of Greensboro offered an explanation when he abruptly stepped down after two years as city manager. His resignation took effect immediately, an interim manager was named in his place, and the city council approved a three-month severance package with pay and health care benefits. Receipts for payments from the city to Jaiyeoba between March 22 and June 14 total $125,000.
It’s unclear how the city came to a severance agreement after Jaiyeoba’s resignation. When he was hired in late 2021, his employment contract explicitly stated that “the City Manager will not receive any severance payment if he terminates this agreement.”
Within days of the city council’s 5-4 vote approving the severance package, some members who had voted against it began to publicly push back. Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Councilmember Tammi Thurm made it clear that they were disappointed that Jaiyeoba had been granted severance. They said they believed the former city manager had violated a city policy – something other people, Thurm said, had been fired for.
Councilmember Zack Matheny joined in their dismay. “I don’t see how anyone could justify any severance in this case,” he said two days after the vote.
Two high-ranking city officials told WFDD at the time that Jaiyeoba had sent inappropriate messages to a female subordinate, which they believed was a violation of the city’s sexual harassment policy. Jaiyeoba did not respond to requests for comment about the allegations at the time, and his attorney declined to comment.
But a Greensboro spokesperson in March said the city had not investigated any claims against its former manager, and therefore could not say whether he had violated a city policy. Matheny called the statement “simply false” and requested a full investigation.
Three months after his resignation, Jaiyeoba was hired to serve as the interim manager for the central North Carolina town of Zebulon. In July, a Chicago infrastructure development firm announced he would join their staff as national transit planner.
Public document redacted
A source with access to the document outlining the settlement agreement between Greensboro and the female employee provided a copy to WFDD on the condition that we protect their identity. The city later publicly released the same document in response to a records request, but redacted a critical element: the single line noting that the $165,000 payment would be made “reflecting Employee’s claims of unwanted touching by her former supervisor, the Employer’s [Greensboro’s] City Manager.”
In an email explaining the reason for the redaction, the city cited the North Carolina statute that governs access to personnel information.
Settlements are generally a matter of public record under North Carolina law. The agreement also clearly states that “the parties understand and agree that this agreement is a public record, which will be provided to the public upon request.”
An additional public records request by WFDD for communications between the former city manager and the employee filed in March remains unfulfilled.
Separately, the city of Greensboro remains engaged in monthslong litigation over the release of police body camera video documenting the aftermath of a domestic disturbance reported at Jaiyeoba’s home in late 2023. Charges were not filed in that case.
This story was produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
