Tampa City Council Chairman Orlando Gudes acknowledges some of the allegations filed against him by a female employee but says many of the accusations are false or taken out of context. He maintains he has no plans to resign his seat.
The city of Tampa released a 60-page report on Monday outlining 19 specific allegations against the 54-year-old Gudes. An independent law firm brought in by the city has determined that 18 "appeared more likely than not to have occurred."
Calls for Gudes' resignation are already coming in. "No person who behaves with women as is detailed in this report should hold public office, much less chair City Council, read a statement from fellow councilman Luis Viera. Councilman Joseph Citro has said he and his fellow councilmen should be held "to a higher standard." In Israel this week, mayor Jane Castor said in a statement that if Gudes were a city employee, "he would be fired over these credible and corroborated sexual harassment revelations."
The report found Gudes to have created a hostile work environment by making a series of remarks toward the female employee, her teenage daughter, and other women, including homophobic comments about Castor, who is openly gay.
Because Gudes is an elected official, he does not answer to the mayor or any other department head. But, state law does allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove him from his seat. If Gudes were to leave, he would be the second to do so in recent weeks. John Dingfelder resigned earlier this month as part of a settlement of a lawsuit brought against him by a local business consultant who claimed he'd violated Florida's Sunshine Law.
Photo Credit: Tampa City Council