Salt Lake County facing sex suit

A woman who says she was sexually harassed by former Salt Lake County chief deputy clerk Nick Floros, and punished when she rejected his advances, filed suit in U.S. District Court Wednesday against the county.

Her cause appears to be helped by a letter, obtained by the Deseret Morning News, that District Attorney David Yocom's office sent to the woman last February.

Litigation chief John Soltis says in the letter that Yocom's own investigators concluded that Floros' behavior constituted "egregious violations" of county policy and procedure. They "concluded that your version of the events in question is more credible" and that "the evidence establishes that, more likely than not, (Floros) engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct and advances toward you and that he punished you for not reciprocating to his advances."

Even so, Soltis wrote that since Floros had retired at the end of January, "disciplinary action . . . is presently unnecessary."

Some County Council members and others have maintained that Yocom soft-pedaled the matter because of political and personalties to Floros, allowing him to retire instead of being terminated and declining to criminally charge him.

"I think that demonstrates how they have taken this whole thing," said the woman's attorney, Ralph Chamness. "It demonstrates a complete and utter lack of understanding of the workplace."

He also pointed to an e-mail sent to employees by Yocom's son, chief deputy clerk Jason Yocom, last month trying to buck them up in the face of news articles on the matter.

"A wise friend once told me, 'Don't sweat the small stuff — and you know what — it's all small stuff,' " Jason Yocom wrote. "So in case any of you are sweating this small stuff, please don't, we have too much work to do."

"There's the problem right there," Chamness said. "Everybody but the county thinks this is a problem. The idea that this is small stuff is just outrageous."

Jason Yocom declined comment for this article, but in the e-mail he appears to be referring more to the news articles about the harassment rather than the harassment itself, which he calls "a very sad and sensitive issue."

David Yocom declined comment on the suit because he hasn't seen it yet. He also said he wouldn't comment on the personnel investigation because he doesn't comment on cases as a matter of policy.