I met with the city attorney and the police chief, then asked them to speak together because we were working in silos.
The civil side
The city attorney looked at a workplace-harassment restraining order. Because I am an elected official, the conduct did not meet that standard.
The criminal side
The police chief explained that the behavior stayed just short of criminal harassment. Both said the scrutiny that applies to public officials is higher than for a private resident.
A gap worth closing
The result is a gap. A regular employee in the same situation might qualify for protection. An elected official, who is paid by the city but is not an ordinary employee, often does not. My next step was to send full documentation to the District Attorney.
I think that gap is worth closing carefully, with a higher bar than for private citizens on speech about public policy and a clear line when conduct becomes stalking.
