A North Dakota mayor has resigned after he was the subject of a sexual harassment investigation.
Tom Ross, now the former mayor of Minot, N.D., reportedly sent an explicit nude video to Stefanie Stalheim, the city attorney of Minot, on Jan. 14.
Local outlet Minot Daily News reported that the exchange occurred just after the two officials got off a phone call where they discussed the suicide of a police officer who was under investigation at the time.
Ross’ resignation as mayor comes more than two months after the incident, and was submitted just before the Minot City Council was set to further discuss the investigation’s findings on April 2.
Ross maintained that he sent Stalheim the video on accident, and claimed he asked her to not to open the video and delete it. However, the thumbnail of the video itself was also graphic, and was seen by Stalheim as she went to delete the message.
The nude video was meant to be sent to Ross’ girlfriend, he claimed.
Two weeks after the January incident, Stalheim filed a formal complaint against Ross, KVRR reported. In the document, she claims his actions were “reckless enough,” given that his role as mayor involves “increased visibility, responsibility, and trust,” yet he still used a private device to both conduct city business and record explicit material.
“He knew the risk he was taking by engaging in such behavior,” the complaint read.
The document requested a formal apology from Ross and asked him to consider resigning.
Noting that he regrets the incident itself, Ross also expressed a desire for the matter to be conducted internally, not publicly. He added that he felt as if he’s had a good track record with others in the workplace and has never sexually harassed anyone at work.
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The investigation into Ross’ behavior concluded that his actions met the city’s parameters defining workplace harassment.
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