Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams' ex-staffer accuses him of sexual harassment; Adams welcomes investigation
Updated Jan 09, 2019; Posted Nov 03, 2017
Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams was accused of sexual harassment in a letter sent by an ex-employee to top Portland officials Thursday.(Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian)
By Jessica Floum | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The executive assistant of former Portland Mayor Sam Adams on Thursday accused Adams of unwanted sexual behavior and comments and frequent attempts at drunk driving.
In a letter emailed just before midnight to Portland's city commissioners, the mayor and other top officials, Adams' former executive assistant Cevero Gonzalez alleged Adams made sexually charged comments in the workplace and behaved erratically. Willamette Week first reported the accusations.
Adams denied the allegations in a text to The Oregonian/OregonLive. He said he will "gladly participate" in an investigation and that he looks "forward to its findings."
"Sexual harassment is a real problem in the workplace," Adams said. "I did not sexually harass Mr. Gonzalez, but I think allegations like his should be thoroughly investigated."
Gonzalez said in his letter he was frequently charged with driving the former mayor home from the airport after long trips. During one of these drives, Gonzalez wrote, Adams asked him when the last time was when he "got laid" and then asked his preferred position during sex.
"When I demurred, he persisted," Gonzalez wrote. "'Come on. What type of guys do you like? Do you like 'em cut or uncut?' Asking me the last question while looking directly at my crotch.'"
Gonzalez wrote the former mayor then told "details of his sexual exploits" on the trip. He said Adams had asked him to prepare a secret document before the trip that included locations of gay clubs, bathhouses and gay bars for him to visit while traveling abroad.
Gonzalez said that when he reported the encounter to then mayoral chief of staff Tom Miller, Miller dismissed his unease, saying "that's just the way he is" and that Gonzalez could find another job if he did not want to tolerate that behavior.
Miller denied Gonzalez's account. "The conversation Cevero alleges never took place," Miller said. "It is a fabrication."
Gonzalez said city staffers shielded Adams from complaints. "I've always wondered why the city of Portland wasn't more aggressive in ensuring appropriate sexual harassment training for elected officials and enhanced reporting opportunities for City Hall staff," Gonzalez wrote. "A code of silence and complicity should never be allowed to stand."
Gonzalez said he was often summoned to drive the former mayor home from bars when he was too drunk to drive himself, noting that Adams would often try to drive himself home "regardless of how many alcoholic beverages he'd consumed."
Gonzalez said the former mayor would often forget to pay his bar tab or leave his wallet behind and that Gonzalez would have to pay his bills and get reimbursed when that happened.
He told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday that he quit drinking for the four plus years that he worked for Adams just in case the needed to retrieve the mayor. Gonzalez said he joked that he "woke Sam up and put him to bed." He said he also was asked to clean Adams' house.
"We all defaulted to protecting Sam," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez wrote in his letter to the city about a time he felt that protection crossed a line. Adams had received an email from someone thanking the former mayor for a "wonderful evening" and implying that he would go public about the night if Adams did not reach out to him. Gonzalez managed Adams' emails as executive assistant. When he saw that note, he said, he contacted his then-supervisor, Jennifer Yocom, to draw her attention to what he saw as a "veiled threat."
Gonzalez said Yocom told him to delete the email. When he refused, he said she told him to turn away so she could do it.
"When that email was discarded it was good opportunity we all missed," Gonzalez told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Yocom said she was justified in deleting the email because it "did not pertain to city business."
"I have followed public records laws," Yocom said. "I'm happy to participate in any official investigation of my conduct."
Gonzalez, choking up, said he hoped the email would force Adams' staff to confront and put a stop to Adams' inappropriate behavior. Gonzalez said he had conversations with other staffers about the "odd" behavior but everyone reacted differently. Mostly, they ignored it, he said, to protect the then mayor.
Gonzalez said he has not received a response from any city official since sending the letter. He emphasized that his only intent in sending the letter was "to heal" and to encourage the city to help anyone else who may have had a similar experience.
"My intent was to have a conversation with them to see what can be done in the future," Gonzalez said.
In 2015, Gonzalez also sued the city and former Mayor Charlie Hales' chief of staff Gail Shibley, accusing them of discriminating against him because of a disability.
--Jessica Floum
jfloum@oregonian.com