Andrew Dowd, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
4 min read
Jun. 7—EAU CLAIRE — Former Eau Claire County District Attorney Gary King is denying a woman's claims that he sexually harassed her while the two worked at the local courthouse.
A lawyer representing King filed an answer Friday to the civil sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by Jessica Bryan in January in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
"Mr. King denies committing any intentional acts of harassment or discrimination," attorney Mark Maciolek of Madison law firm Murphy Desmond wrote in the legal filing.
In her civil complaint, Bryan details allegations of sexual harassment against King that span from summer 2019 until early 2021. During that time, King was serving as the elected district attorney while Bryan worked as the victim witness coordinator. While not stationed in the same office, the victim witness coordinator works closely with the district attorney's office.
In responding to several instances when Bryan alleges the former district attorney harassed her, King either flatly denied them or claimed his comments were misinterpreted.
Among the incidents that King denied were Bryan's allegation that he had made multiple comments suggesting the two of them should get a room at a local hotel. Bryan accused of him suggesting this in specific incidents in March 2020 and January 2021.
King also alleges that comments he made at the office about Bryan being in his dreams in mid-2020 were not sexual in nature.
In a summer 2019 discussion where King told Bryan to not wear a particular outfit again because it was "too distracting" for him, the ex-district attorney claims it was a talk about the importance of appropriate office attire, not a sexual comment.
Bryan's lawsuit also alleges several instances of unwanted touching from King during the time the two worked together.
King denied that he'd hugged Bryan during summer 2020 in the office, played with her hair and commented on her appearance.
The two sides also have different views on an interaction they had on Jan. 5, 2021 at Bryan's desk.
According to Bryan's lawsuit, King professed his love for her and hugged her from behind. Bryan stated that King tried to kiss her on the mouth, but she turned in time for the kiss to land on her cheek instead.
But King's version of that encounter was that he stopped by her desk because he was feeling distraught after returning from the funeral of a police officer, who was both a colleague and friend of his. King spoke about his grief, thanked her for listening and then kissed her on the cheek, but contends the latter was not done in a sexual way.
Bryan alleged that later on the same day, King pulled her onto his lap and she had to struggle to get free. He denied that accusation in his filing.
The lawsuit states that during their time working together, Bryan said she'd repeatedly told King to stop the offensive conduct, but he did not. King denies that, too.
In mid-February 2021, Bryan made a formal complaint to the county's Human Resources Department about King's behavior.
Both King and Bryan are asking for the case to be decided by a six-person jury.
Bryan is seeking unspecified compensatory damages and punitive damages, her attorney's fees and costs, and any other relief the court deems appropriate.
King is requesting a judgement dismissing Bryan's complaint and granting him any costs and relief provided by law.
After Bryan lodged her formal complaint in February 2021, the county conducted an internal investigation with the help of an outside attorney. That concluded in a March 2021 report that determined King harassed and acted inappropriately toward female coworkers. Following that, County Administrator Kathryn Schauf told King he was not to have one-on-one contact behind closed doors with other employees.
Bryan's lawsuit also states that King "was frequently intoxicated while engaging in his abusive conduct." He denied that in his response.
The civil lawsuit is not the only court action currently pending against King over his conduct while he was the county's top prosecutor.
Last month the state Supreme Court's Office of Lawyer Regulation issued a complaint seeking to suspend King's law license for nine months. The two-page complaint cited King's general office behavior, competency and sexual harassment.
Based on reports of fellow county employees, problems with King's behavior began in 2018, according to the complaint. This included times when King appeared to be sleeping in meetings and during court proceedings, his behavior becoming more erratic and abusive in 2019, and times when courtroom staff observed King exhibiting signs of intoxication in court.
King left office last year amid the accusations of sexual harassment and questions about his sobriety on the job. Gov. Tony Evers had appointed a commissioner to investigate the allegations, but King opted to resign before any investigation could be completed.
King announced his resignation in July. His last day in office was in mid-August. In his resignation letter, King stated he was seeking professional assistance to address his health and that the job's long hours had taken a toll on him.
King was first elected district attorney in 2012, and then re-elected in 2016 and 2020.
