Lester Charges Harassment

The planned reorganization initiated by the Republican majority on the East Hampton Town Board of several town departments has caused what one Democratic town official considers "psychological turmoil" among employees, both male and female, and prompted a charge by Democratic Supervisor Cathy Lester and other officials that a recent, related incident was "sexual harassment."

The Town Board majority has called for the consolidation of the Town Shellfish Hatchery and sanitation inspector with the Natural Resources Department, and the two-person Computer Data Processing Department with the Assessors Office. They also suggested a freeze on hiring in other departments, among other measures.

Incident Described

The alleged harassment was said to have occurred after Lisa Liquori, town planning director, told the Town Board her department was in dire need of help since one staffer had left for a job in Southampton and another was on maternity leave.

Democratic Councilman Peter Hammerle and Republican Councilwoman Nancy McCaffrey described what occurred.

Mr. Hammerle said he had asked Mr. Knobel to support the hiring of a new planner, and that Mr. Knobel responded by coming out from behind his desk, getting down on his knees, and saying the planning director would have to do the same before he would vote to replace the outgoing employee.

Councilwoman McCaffrey said what occurred was meant only in jest.

Only Gossip

Reached by telephone on Tuesday night, Councilman Knobel labeled the story "office gossip." During a Town Board hearing on Nov. 1 he called it a "rumor."

"I don't remember what gesture I made. . . . It was never stated in that way," he said Tuesday. He did recall saying he and the other two Republicans on the board had " 'the majority now.' I said, 'If we want, we could make a department head beg.' "

"I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention but I heard them [Councilmen Hammerle and Knobel] fooling around and joking about hiring new people. . . . I think Tom was kidding when he said that. . . . To make anything more out of it, that's really obscene," Mrs. McCaffrey said.

Describing her meeting the next day with Mr. Knobel, Ms. Liquori said she made her own pitch to hire Cindy Fowkes, a recent Southampton College graduate, and three days later was given approval.

"I asked professionally. I did not get down on my knees. . . . I'm just trying to do my job," she said.

Called Disrespect

Supervisor Lester said she found the story "really disturbing," but added, "I don't think Tom has the slightest idea what it means to women."

Jeanne Nielsen, a longtime Democratic Committeewoman who is a Town Assessor, agreed. Going a step further, both accused Mr. Knobel and other Republicans of "a total disrespect for women in authority," as Ms. Lester put it.

"I mean, they threatened to remove me and my staff from our offices. They tried to take the salary for my female administrative assistant out of the budget. And now Councilman Knobel has made this request of our female planning director. If this isn't sexual harassment, then I don't know what is," said the Supervisor.

She said, and Ms. Nielsen agreed, that there had been additional incidents since the Republicans took control of the board in January that they found disturbing. Some employees, Ms. Lester said, are "wondering what they've done to be punished. It's just not the way to treat people."