'Personnel Issue' Trails Labor Commissioner Up for Second Term
Wednesday, July 20, 2016 | 0
New Hampshire's Executive Council held off on confirming the state labor commissioner for a second term after the state settled for $123,607 with an employee who alleged age discrimination under the commissioner's administration.
Department of Labor Commissioner James Craig denies wrongdoing but says he has changed department procedures so "this will never happen again," he told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The Union Leader ran an editorial questioning the consistency of Craig's statements.
"What will never happen again? What happened?" the newspaper's editorial board asked. "If neither Craig nor anyone else in his department did anything wrong, $132,500 seems like a high price for state taxpayers to bear."
In addition to the $123,607 paid to Workers' Compensation Division administrator David Rogers, who filed the discrimination complaint, the state paid $8,893 to the Concord law firm of Cleveland, Waters and Bass to cover his legal fees.
The Union Leader also called for greater transparency from the state about the settlement, which Gov. Maggie Hassan's office has declined to discuss due to its status as a "personnel matter."
"The Hassan administration is shrouding the case in secrecy, refusing to divulge information about a 'personnel matter.' That’s not good enough," the editorial read. "For $132,500, the people of New Hampshire deserve answers on why they are paying to settle lawsuits against state officials. The state can’t spend the public’s money to make a discrimination claim go away with no explanation."
Craig took office in August 2013, and his term expires Aug. 30. He is up for another three-year term, but his nomination has been on hold before the Executive Council since mid-June.
Rogers' lawsuit happened within his first three months in office, the Union Leader reported. Rogers alleged he was passed over for a promotion because of his age.
After the lawsuit, Craig initiated a change in department hiring policy "so that all hiring in the department is done by committee" now, he told the Union Leader.
Craig said he did not discriminate against Rogers based on his age, and he deserves a second term.
"I think I've done a very good job running the department. There are no major labor issues," Craig told the Union Leader. "I'm asking the governor and counselors to look at the whole job I've done here and when they do, I think I do deserve a second term."
He said he has a feeling the reason he hasn't been confirmed is partially due to the settlement, but he didn't want to speak for the governor's office or Executive Council.
A governor's office spokesman declined comment, aside from saying, "The governor is aware of the settlement."
Before his initial nomination, Craig practiced law in New Hampshire with Craig, Deachman & Armann, and served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for five terms. He has also been the president of the Manchester Bar Association.
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