Laguna Beach City Manager Shohreh Dupuis will leave her post Sept. 1 as part of her settlement agreement with the city after expressing her concerns over being exposed to harassment and a hostile workplace.
In the nine-page agreement, Dupuis, who took her job with the city in May 2021 after previously serving as assistant city manager to John Pietig, alleges that a Laguna Beach council member’s conduct has caused problems since February.
At that time, Dupuis was accused of a lack of transparency by City Councilmember George Weiss and other community members after a traffic stop in which Dupuis used a hand-held cell phone resulted in releasing a video from a police officer’s body-cam. Dupuis’ house in South Laguna was also vandalized, with the police department and private citizens offering a reward for information leading to the suspect. As of now, no one has been linked to the vandalism in which feces was smeared on her house and property, officials said.
On Thursday, Aug. 24, after a closed session Laguna Beach City Council meeting – which follows four other such meetings over the past months discussing “significant exposure to litigation” connected to a “complaint alleging the conduct of Councilmember George Weiss’ continuing harassment and (creation) of a hostile work environment” – city officials announced that Dupuis and the city came to the agreement that she would retire Sept. 1.
Following the meeting, Mayor Bob Whalen signed the separation agreement that outlines the parameters under which Dupuis retires. Dupuis signed the agreement Aug. 14. The agreement is the result of a unanimous vote by Whalen and councilmembers Sue Kempf, Mark Orgill and Alex Rounaghi.
In reporting the agreement, City Attorney Phil Kohn wrote that a city press release announcing her retirement would follow the unanimous agreement regarding Dupuis’ retirement. Her position will be filled by Assistant City Manager Gavin Curran, who will serve in an acting capacity for at least the next six months, said Whalen, adding that the city will likely look for an interim city manager.
“Hopefully, we can find someone very experienced and retired while we conduct the search,” he said.
Weiss said on Friday that neither he nor his attorney were notified about Dupuis’ claim.
“I have no idea what it was,” he said in an email response. “I was even in the dark about the city manager’s departure until yesterday. All of this is news to me.”
Dupuis has not responded to a request for comment.
Whalen confirmed that Dupuis came to him and Kempf about Weiss’ alleged conduct and suggested she’d like to retire and resolve her claims. Dupuis first contacted the human resources manager at city hall, who then made the council aware that Dupuis had filed a claim against Weiss, Whalen said.
“It was her request (in July) to attempt to resolve this,” he said. “The intent was to reach an agreement where she retires on Sept. 1.”
According to the settlement agreement, Dupuis will be paid a nine-month severance pay and $223,077 to settle all claims. She retains her health insurance during that period and the city will pay her legal costs up to $10,000.
She will also retain her housing assistance agreement that helped pay for her home as part of her initial hiring agreement, Kohn said.
“The settlement agreement confirms whatever rights she had remain in force,” he said. According to the original agreement, Kohn said she could remain in the house under that agreement for seven more years.
Whalen praised Dupuis for her role in the city, especially her work during the pandemic.
“Shohreh played a key role for our City during the COVID-19 pandemic and has helped deliver on wildfire safety, transportation and mobility programs, key property acquisitions and other important City Council priorities,” he said in the city’s statement released Thursday. “We appreciate her dedication through some very challenging times and wish her well asshe enters the next phase of her life.”
On Friday, he said the settlement agreement is best for all concerned.
“This is the best resolution for the city,” Whalen said. “It’s mutually agreed upon, it resolves all the claims and now we can get to work on agenda items and policy matters. With Gavin at the helm, I think we’ll be just fine. One of Shohreh’s great legacies is that she’s leaving a strong management team. I urged them to stick with us through the transition phase.”
