The Milwaukee Common Council is being asked to approve a $40,000 payment to settle a discrimination claim against City Attorney Tearman Spencer by one of his former employees who said he touched her inappropriately.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, $30,000 would go to former Assistant City Attorney Naomi Gehling, who has accused Spencer of placing his hand on her knee during a meeting on July 23, 2020, just months after he took office. She is now deputy director of the city Fire and Police Commission.
Spencer has denied wrongdoing.
The final $10,000 of the proposed settlement would go to Gehling’s attorney, Peter Fox.
The proposal is being made by attorney Daniel Finerty, who was hired to represent the city in the case.
Finerty offered this deal after a state investigator found “probable cause” to believe Spencer violated state labor law by effectively forcing Gehling out of his office after she informed a deputy city attorney and human resources staffer of the touching incident.