Site Says Former Mayor Mike Cooper One of the Worst Bosses of 2011

A Web site called eBossWatch calls former Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper one of the 100 worst bosses in America.

In a news release, the site says it used a panel of workplace experts to rank the worst bosses from across the country. They put Cooper No. 53 on the list.

As its source, eBossWatch cited a copy of a news release published by My Edmonds News in which the attorney for Kimberly Cole, Cooper's former executive assistant, said his client's resignation was due to “hostile work environment created by certain employees in the City of Edmonds.”

Edmonds Patch  with the media in which she further shed light on her working conditions.

When contacted by Edmonds Patch for more detail, eBossWatch founder Asher Adelman released the following on Tuesday:

“I think there are several reasons why our panel felt that Cooper failed as a manager. First of all, he allowed a hostile work environment develop and fester for a long time until it reached the point where one of his employees feared for her personal safety, resigned, and then filed a hostile workplace lawsuit.

“Then when he finally decided to solve the problem—after it had reached crisis mode—he seems to have botched that as well. Cooper put one of his employees, who ultimately resigned, on paid administrative leave to ensure her personal safety, and . The was subsequently rejected by City Council, and .

“(Dave) Earling, Cooper's replacement, apparently hinted that Cooper might have retaliated against the employee who he fired, . It is the managers who are ultimately responsible for the work environment, and Cooper seems to have let his work environment deteriorate and spiral out of control until it became hostile and unbearable for some of his employees. A good manager would not have let this type of situation deteriorate for so long and to such an extent.”

Cooper, , said he believed what he did was the right thing to do and best for the city of Edmonds.