Former city manager Ty Lewis says Paso Robles violated settlement agreement
Former Paso Robles city manager Ty Lewis believes the city releasing only the executive summary of the investigation into his harassment claim against City Councilmember Chris Bausch violated his settlement agreement with the city, he wrote in an email obtained by The Tribune via a public records request.
As a result, he said he planned to seek damages from the city.
The executive summary was released as part of the settlement of The Tribune’s public records lawsuit against Bausch and the city, which was filed in March and resolved on Sept. 8.
Bausch apparently refused to participate in the investigation into his own conduct, the summary showed. With the caveat of Bausch’s “missing interview,” the summary did support many of Lewis’ allegations against the councilman.
In his claim, Lewis accused Bausch of creating a hostile work environment by harassing him and working with former City Council candidates, a Republican Party leader and Cal Coast News reporter Karen Velie to spread rumors about him and ruin his reputation.
Lewis settled his harassment claim against the city in January for $365,000.
In that settlement agreement, he, Bausch and the city agreed to “not affirmatively seek to disclose, discuss or communicate to any third party any information related to the nature, basis, pursuit or resolution to the claims alleged herein, including any documents or copies of documents produced or obtained in connection with this matter.”
That clause did not apply to instances where documents are court-ordered for release or responsive to a Public Records Act request, the settlement said.
According to the email, which was sent on Sept. 4, Lewis said he did not oppose the disclosure of the investigative report if the city was ordered to do so by a court or if the full report was produced in response to a Public Records Act request.
The Tribune requested the full investigative report from the city, but the city denied the request citing attorney-client privilege.
Lewis said the city releasing only the four-page executive summary as part of its settlement with The Tribune is a “clear material breach” of his settlement agreement.
“Such selective release would strip me of the confidentiality I bargained for, cause foreseeable reputational harm and negate the settlement consideration I accepted when I resigned and gave up six years of continued employment,” Lewis wrote in the email.
In his letter, which was sent before the agreement with The Tribune was finalized, Lewis said he planned to seek injunctive relief and monetary damages if the city did release only the summary as part of the settlement.
Lewis told The Tribune he could not comment on the summary’s release or his email.
Paso Robles City Attorney Elizabeth Hull told The Tribune the city disagrees with Lewis’ assertion that releasing the summary violated the terms of its settlement agreement with Lewis and Bausch. She said the city did not affirmatively seek to release any documents associated with the investigation into Lewis’ claims against Bausch for harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
“The executive summary was released as part of the settlement with The Tribune concerning its public records requests, and in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Act,” Hull said.
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 12:09 PM.
