YAKIMA — An investigator hired by the city of Yakima has cleared Police Chief Sam Granato of allegations he sexually harassed a rookie female officer.
The report says there was no indication Granato retaliated against Officer Stacey Andrews when their friendship soured. However, the report says the chief let his personal relationship cloud the boundaries of authority.
“It appears the chief does not understand his role and the power that comes with it when approaching a new employee with anything which appears to suggest a sexual relationship,” the report said.
A copy of the report was obtained Thursday by the Yakima Herald-Republic. The investigation was conducted by Nancy Graber, an Ellensburg attorney and Central Washington University professor of human resources management, who completed it April 13.
City Manager Dick Zais said he has directed Granato to go through additional management training, be more cautious regarding interpersonal relationships with co-workers, and limit future communication with the officer who made the complaint to official police department business.
Zais also told the newspaper that Granato does not need additional training regarding sexual harassment. Earlier this year, Zais said he “counseled” Granato for kissing a female colleague from another department on the lips.
“He’s been through sexual harassment training already,” Zais said. “He was not found guilty of sexual harassment.”
In a city news release, Granato said he didn’t necessarily agree with all of Graber’s conclusions but vowed to learn from the experience.
“I would never intentionally create perceptions that might cloud the boundaries of authority in the police department,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that happened in this case.”
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