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Former Employee Sues Conyers

Employee Alleges Conyers Did Nothing To Stop Harassment

POSTED: Friday, July 3, 2009
UPDATED: 3:42 pm EDT July 3,2009

One week after Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers resigned from council after pleading guilty to bribery charges, a former staff member's lawsuit against her reveals what an inside look at Conyers administration may have looked like.

Conyers former assistant Shanise Robinson alleges in a lawsuit that the councilwoman turned away from her when she told her she was a victim of sexual harassment and threatened to fire her over her handwriting, a coffee mug and telephone greetings.

Robinson also said that during the one month she worked there in January 2008, Conyers did nothing to stop sexual harassment by another Conyers' employee, Dale Foster, who is also a candidate for City Council.

Robinson said Conyers threatened to fire her for using the wrong coffee mug, and signing Conyers' signature in a sloppy manner.

Robinson said that Conyers was upset with her when she answered the phone using Conyers' title as "council president pro-tem" when Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. was overseas. Conyers said the president's absence automatically changed her position to council president.

In the lawsuit, filed in Wayne County, Robinson alleged that Conyers knew about the harassment and told Robinson that she would be protected if Robinson did anything to her and that she would cuss him out.

However, Robinson said that Conyers did nothing when she told her that Foster grabbed her thigh during a work related event.

Robinson claims that Foster's harassment began when she started working in the City Council secretary pool in 2000. Foster has worked three council members over 11 years before Foster and Robinson began working together for Conyers in 2008.

Conyers fired Foster earlier this year because he wouldn't attend a sexual harassment seminar. Foster acknowledged the suspension but said the allegations were untrue and unfair.

He added that Robinson has been out to get him and she is "money hungry."
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  SURVEY
Congressman John Conyers is upset Fox News ran footage of him mistakenly when referring to Rep. William Jefferson in regards to the indictment on bribery charges. To read the story, click here. What do you think?
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