Part 8, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Westbrook Forces Out Two More City Employees

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Part 8, Corruption at Sheboygan City Hall: Westbrook Forces Out Two More City Employees

Take Back Sheboygan County has learned that the past few weeks have seen a continued turnover of city employees. One employee with 29 years of service was forced into early retirement for writing the name “Todd Wolf” on a questionnaire at the City Administrator stakeholder meetings. This employee has no known previous disciplinary issues and provided service to the city admirably. Some quotes that were shared anonymously were, “This employee did not have enough years of service to retire, so this does not make sense.” Another employee shared that the retirement pizza party and news came very abruptly.

An anonymous report stated that this employee asked who would do the job upon retirement and volunteered to stay on board to train the replacement. This employee was instructed that was not an option. This leaves a department in our city that is already battling staffing issues to cover a full-time position with no plan or consideration from Westbrook regarding the vacancy it would cause in the department.

Take Back Sheboygan County was anonymously informed that another employee with ties to Chad Pelishek was terminated and walked out of City Hall on Tuesday, August 8, which coincides with the same day Take Back Sheboygan County released the post detailing Chad Pelishek’s lawsuit.

What was the immediate danger and threat to the city by this employee that required immediate termination? Was the threat significant enough that the city needed to terminate this employee on the same day as the release of the lawsuit and risk it being labeled as retaliation?

Take Back Sheboygan County was notified of statements made by Mr. Westbrook in an email regarding harassment concerns based on religion due to Mayor Sorenson’s photo with a group mocking the Catholic religion. The citizen shared that city employees voiced concerns over harassment based on their religion due to the photo but faced the fear of bringing the concern forward due to not wanting to be terminated without cause like former city administrator Todd Wolf.

Westbrook responded in an email on July 19 with the following:

“As you know, I was not here when the Todd situation happened and had no role in that investigation or in the decision to terminate his position. As an attorney and an HR professional, I understand that retaliation is always worse than the original violation and would never allow or support an employee being terminated for filing a sincere report of harassment, discrimination, or bullying. (Obviously making something up would be a different story.)”

Westbrook expands on that later in the email with this statement:

“If these employees still have the irrational fear that I will retaliate or share their information (which they would have zero reason to hold that opinion of me), they have the option to follow the whistleblower procedure which (while still needing to provide their information) adds protection under the whistleblower law.”

With two employees ending their employment with our city recently and city employees stating that it was “heavy-handed discipline” and the “consequence did not match the issue” anonymously to Take Back Sheboygan, Westbrook feels that no city employee has a rational reason to fear interacting with him as Human Resources Director. City employees are communicating with Take Back Sheboygan and voicing concerns out of genuine fear of Westbrook, Mayor Sorenson, and eight of the ten members of the Common Council (excluding Alder Trey Mitchell and Alder Joe Heidemann).

Westbrook states that he understands that retaliation is always worse than the violation. Was the termination of an employee with close ties to Chad Pelishek on the same day this site posted information on Pelishek’s lawsuit retaliation?

The culture of fear and intimidation is rampant among city employees!

In the emails between Westbrook and the citizen regarding the harassment investigation, Westbrook refused to meet with the resident over the concern and instructed the citizen to review the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C.) website for education.

Westbrook often refers to himself as an attorney and a Human Resources professional. In the Pelishek suit, there is an allegation that Westbrook told Chad Pelishek, “You are not being discriminated against,” and that Pelishek has no “protected status.”

The same E.E.O.C that Westbrook directed the concerned citizen to use for education is the same agency that granted Pelishek the right to sue the city of Sheboygan for discrimination. This led to a second federal court case naming the City of Sheboygan.

Westbrook’s actions are impacting employees of the City of Sheboygan, forcing them to work every day in a culture of fear and intimidation. Westbrook’s reckless actions have added to the city’s challenges, and Westbrook denies that he was involved in the Wolf investigation. There are allegations in the Pelishek suit that after Westbrook started with the city, he was involved in the Wolf situation even after the termination. This contradicts Westbrook’s statement in the email to the citizen that attempts to distance himself from the “Todd situation.”

City employees are scared, frustrated, and wondering who is next. This is unfair to the people who work to serve you as a taxpayer every day. This negative work environment impacts the attitudes and mindset of city employees every day. It is admirable to see the commitment of the day-to-day employees not to allow this toxic environment to impact the services they provide. It is wearing on employees, and that impacts you as a taxpayer!

It is also wrong and unfair treatment of individuals who dedicate their careers to serving you. Why is Westbrook acting this way?

The forced retirement of a 29-year employee seems to be tied to behavior that upset the mayor and/or the eight members of the ten members (excluding Alder Mitchell and Alder Heidemann)of the Common Council.

Is Westbrook working for the City of Sheboygan as a whole, or is Westbrook working only for Mayor Sorenson and eight of the ten members (excluding Alders Mitchell and Heidemann) of the Common Council?