SLO County employee who accused Adam Hill of harassment gets $40,000 settlement
A former San Luis Obispo County employee will receive a settlement of more than $40,000 just months after filing a workplace misconduct complaint against late Supervisor Adam Hill.
The county provided The Tribune with a redacted copy of the human resources complaint, in which the employee accused Hill — referred to as “AH” — of harassing them and inappropriately touching them after their consensual relationship had ended.
The county did not identify the employee, who filed the complaint on July 27. The person’s last day at the county was Nov. 13, County Counsel Rita Neal said.
Hill, 54, who’d served as District 3 supervisor since 2008, died by suicide at his Shell Beach home on Aug. 6 after taking time away from his official duties to seek specialized mental health care at a treatment facility.
The county acknowledged an investigation into the complaint on Aug. 13, after Hill’s death.
The employee will receive six months’ salary — just under $40,000 — accumulated vacation leave and six months of payments toward COBRA insurance coverage, according to the settlement document provided by the county.
Employee complaint against Hill
The employee claimed to have had an on-and-off consensual sexual relationship with Hill from October 2017 through October 2019 and into early 2020.
The person officially ended the relationship in October 2019 after Hill “freaked out” and expressed concerns they would be discovered following news of a scandal involving U.S. Rep. Katie Hill.
Katie Hill, who represented a congressional district in Southern California, resigned from office after an affair with a campaign staffer became public.
After the relationship between Adam Hill and the county employee ended, the person “maintained a friendship” with him and “supported him with his mental health issues.”
Even so, the employee said Hill made them uncomfortable at work, continuing to touch them inappropriately. The person later said they had “PTSD” because of “gross things” that occurred between the employee and Hill.
The employee said they decided to come forward with the complaint because they “no longer trusted (Hill)” and feared retaliation from him.
Neal told The Tribune the county did not admit liability in the settlement, which must be paid out by Friday.
“The settlement was made in order to conclude the matter in a timely and efficient manner and allow the parties to move forward,” Neal said in an email.
