After Investigation Finds Abuse, Prov City Council Moves Forward to Remove Matos' Appointee

After Investigation Finds Abuse, Prov City Council Moves Forward to Remove Matos' Appointee

Days after GoLocal unveiled the findings on an independent report conducted by outside counsel attorney Carly Beauvais Iafrate, Providence City Council President John Igliozzi announced that the Council will move forward to remove Providence City Clerk Shawn Selleck.

The report found that there were serious allegations of abuse and harassment by Selleck.

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The 77-page report unveiled exclusively by GoLocal showed that most of the alleged abuse took place under then-City Council President Sabina Matos. Matos, now-RI's Lt. Governor, took no action against Selleck.

Matos, when reached by GoLocal on Thursday, said she had not seen the report and had no comment of the allegations of bullying and abuse.

She had appointed Selleck to a four-year term.

The City Council office under Igliozzi said in a statement, "Based on the results of an independent investigation into the behavior of City Clerk Shawn Selleck, which concluded that Mr. Selleck violated both the City Code of Conduct and Workplace Violence Policy by creating a toxic work environment, the City Council will pursue a termination hearing under Providence Home Rule Charter Section 403, “Charges Against Administrative Personnel. A Section 403 resolution will be included on the Council’s Thursday, October 7 meeting agenda."

Further, the Council stated, "The independent investigation by respected employment and labor attorney Iafrate determined that Mr. Selleck violated the City’s Code of Conduct, Anti-Bullying, Anti-Harassment, and Workforce Violence policies through a pattern of bullying, confrontational, and intimidating behavior which created a toxic work environment within the City Clerk’s office. Pursuant to Section 403, the City Council will submit the charges to the Mayor, and following a 30-day period, will order a public hearing on the charges against Mr. Selleck."