I am a female employee, who has been employed for the past 15 years by the City of Mercer Island, in a department comprised mostly of male employees. I am writing this letter in hopes of clearing up some harmful and erroneous allegations regarding the City of Mercer Island as an employer.

Over the past two years, there have been at times a trickle of outrageous allegations, which recently has turned into a flood of inaccuracies regarding unprofessional conduct and outright sexual harassment. I would like to quash some gross inaccuracies as portrayed by the media and some rumors circulating in our community. Many of these stories and rumors portray the city as an unprofessional workplace and an environment rife with sexual harassment. These allegations and beliefs are completely untrue and without merit.

I have worked under the direction of several male supervisors during my career and I have never been treated with anything other than complete respect. I have never witnessed sexual harassment and have regularly attended city-sponsored sexual harassment training for both employees and supervisors. Our department has a zero tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment, and I have every reason to believe the other departments in the city are governed the same way.

The City of MI employs approximately 180 employees; therefore, employees have the opportunity to become familiar and friendly with most every other employee in the city. We spend time outside of work together, we eat together, we go to training together and we have many opportunities to talk to each other outside of a formal venue. As such, I have never heard one complaint of sexual harassment from any female employee in the 15 years I have worked for the city. I firmly believe that if all of the allegations that are being printed and posted on social media outlets were true, I would have heard about them or perhaps even been approached and asked for help.

I feel the media has been completely irresponsible, printing one-sided articles, which sensationalize something that has never been confirmed. I feel it is extremely naive for citizens to believe everything they read in print or see on television, without first listening to the other half of the story. In my profession, we are taught to gather as much information as possible, from every available source, before we form a conclusion. I only wish this is the way everyone conducted their business, with fairness and without bias or prejudice.

I feel very fortunate to work in such a hospitable atmosphere, where employees’ thoughts and ideas are valued and respect is shown to all employees. If half of the allegations I have read recently were true, I would want no part of working for this organization. However, I have found the City of MI to be a very pleasant, fair, supportive and respectful employer and look forward to finishing my career here.

Leslie Burns

City of Mercer Island employee