Emails from city staff to the Roanoke City Council decry a hostile work environment, and City Manager Bob Cowell clarified that an assistant city manager he reassigned was demoted.
Following a three-hour closed-door meeting in April, the city council approved Cowell’s appointment of an assistant city manager to replace Brent Robertson.
“Assistant City Manager Brent Robertson has provided his notice to retire, effective Nov. 1,” Cowell said at the time. “And has been reassigned outside of that role to other projects.”
But a series of emails, obtained via a freedom of information request and first reported on by The Roanoke Rambler, details a previously unmentioned series of events leading to Robertson’s reassignment.
In an email written to the city council on April 5, a former senior budget analyst resigned — and explained why. Robertson burst into a budget team meeting March 6, acting angry and erratic, according to the email.
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“He began verbally attacking me and physically threatening me,” the email reads. “In all my professional career, I have never been so brutally attacked.”
The employee had no prior plans to quit, according to the email. Concern about remaining coworkers’ safety was also expressed.
“I am unable to see myself continue to perform well in a restrictive, unwarranted, unsafe, and hostile work environment,” reads the email. “In the best interest of my overall health, I have made the decision to resign.”
Robertson could not be reached for comment.
Another employee, a deputy budget director with more than 20 years of experience with the city, sent an email to city council members on April 3 saying employees deserve better treatment by organizational leadership.
Another email from the same staff member one week later said “the current administration is toxic and damaging for the organization.”
Staff endured direct verbal abuse, and some used personal leave at doctors’ recommendations to be away from the office, according to the email. Behaviors were affecting staff at work as well as at home, according to the email.
“We, the staff of the organization, need for City Council to remove Bob Cowell and Brent Robertson effective immediately,” reads the email. “It is for the good of the organization.”
In an email, a city spokesperson said Cowell would not answer more questions related to Robertson.
Cowell said in April he would not speak more about the personnel matter regarding Robertson, but he issued further written comment on May 1.
“In this instance, I took immediate, prompt and remedial action including relinquishing the individual of his duties as Assistant City Manager upon learning of the conduct,” Cowell said. “I reassigned his responsibilities, diminished his salary and accepted his retirement, effective November 1, 2024.”
Cowell said he takes seriously incidents such as this. He said he continues to work with the city council to ensure a safe workplace where employees are valued and can thrive.
“Additionally, a review of the incident by an outside party was initiated to ensure full understanding of the circumstances leading up to the incident, what actually occurred during the incident, and to help ascertain any additional steps necessary to avoid similar incidents in the future,” Cowell said.
Mayor Sherman Lea said he could not comment on the matter out of fairness, due to it being a personnel issue. Other city council members have not responded to requests for comment.