Danny Baugh, Redding’s former construction manager, referred to City Hall as a “cornucopia of inappropriate e-mail” and essentially put the blame for his own work affairs with three women, and his around-work distribution of pornography on the existing highly sexualized work environment that he stepped into when he took the job.
This paragraph of a report from the Redding Record Searchlight stood out in particular:
“Baugh told investigators he was "weaned on pornography" from the moment he arrived at City Hall in October 2002 to supervise Big League Dreams sports park construction. The porn circulated among managers, top administrators and even City Council members, Baugh told private investigator Diane Davis, declining to name names.”
He was “weaned on pornography” at City Hall, eh? That claim sounds pretty dubious, but more details that have emerged do tend to support Baugh’s general assertions concerning the workplace climate there. Consider this gem from the same Record Searchlight report:
“Randy Bachman, the former assistant city manager, was in the porn loop along with Bachman's lover at City Hall, who was also a friend of Baugh’s, documents show. Bachman, who had regularly played tennis and golf with Baugh, resigned in September after admitting to having an affair on city property.”
What is it with the Redding City Hall and all these love affairs? Are they pumping pheromones through the HVAC system?
Don’t fret, though; according to Baugh, current City Manager Kurt Starman knew nothing of the circulating porn or percolating love affairs. Indeed, Baugh was insistent that Starman is a “stellar individual and a good Christian man” — and we all know that good Christian men never get involved in sexual hanky panky…. just ask Ted Haggard.