UTAH COUNTY – There’s a sharp war of words between two members of the Utah County Commission. One is calling on another to resign after allegations of sexual harassment and bullying.
Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie says a recent investigation into a sexual harassment claim against Commissioner Greg Graves shows an abusive pattern of behavior. He claims Graves has been known to retaliate against people who disagree with him. “There are posts on social media from [county] employees who will admit that they’re scared to speak out because they’re afraid of the retaliation. That is an unacceptable standard to have,” Ivie says.
He remembers a situation roughly six months ago of a woman coming into his office, crying, after speaking with Graves. “Unfortunately, that’s not an isolated incident. I’ve had several other employees in my office from the same experience,” Ivie says, adding that employees are supposed to feel safe at work, but they don’t. “I have my responsibility to the citizens of Utah County to make sure that that abuse does not occur in this building. That is why I spoke up.”
However, Graves is firing back against these claims. He was quoted in the Deseret News as saying an investigation by the Utah County Attorney’s Office cleared him of wrongdoing when it pertains to sexual harassment. He also issued a statement saying, “It is with no doubt and hesitation that I have done nothing wrong in my capacity as a commissioner. I will do absolutely everything in my ability to defend myself and prove myself to be truthful and categorically deny any wrong doing. I am disappointed that people would use the news of the day to attack and stop me from doing my job. I would ask people to take notice of my work and not the slanderous words of a couple people who are attempting to stop me from doing my job. I am thankful to my wife and family who are my foundation of strength. I am grateful to my family for teaching me the principles that guide me today. I love serving the people of Utah County and will faithfully do so until the end of my term.”
(Photo Credit: Utah County Commission/ Greg Graves)