Editor's note: This story has been updated to provide additional context.
A report obtained by 6 Investigates has raised questions about the conduct of Corpus Christi City Councilwoman Sylvia Campos. That report stems from an incident in the City Manager's conference room and may result in the city limiting Campos's interactions with city staff.
The City's Human Resources Department began an internal investigation after an employee filed a grievance earlier this month. The complaint alleged that Campos defecated on herself in the City Manager's conference room and required assistance.
That employee "stated that she felt disrespected and it felt like CCM Campos did it intentionally."
District 2 Councilwoman Campos has vehemently denied most of the allegations in that internal City Hall investigation, characterizing the report as a "calculated attempt" to discredit her.
Her attorney, Matt Manning, describes the document as "false and libelous."
For the sake of privacy, 6 Investigates will not be providing the full report due to its sensitive nature and confidentiality.
While Campos told KRIS 6 News an accident occurred, she disputes the extensive details outlined in the report and denies allegations that it was intentional.
According to the internal investigation findings, "Since the incident, CCM Campos has disclosed that she suffers from an unspecified medical condition. However, the Human Resources Department is unable to confirm a link between this medical condition and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Statements from various affected employees raise concerns and these employee statements cast doubt on whether the incident was purely accidental. Accepting that, the logical inference could be reasonably interpreted as deliberate conduct as to much of what occurred. Regardless, Human Resources cannot conclusively make any such determination and instead focuses on taking necessary and measured steps to minimize the effects on employees from similar incidents occurring in the future."
The internal review stated the conference room required significant cleaning and replacement of furnishings, including the carpet and chair. It also said staff had to conduct a thorough cleaning of both the conference room and a nearby restroom.
"Furniture and carpet had to be replaced in the City Manager's Conference Room and a deep cleaning had to be performed on the restroom, conference room, and additional furniture. The cost of replacing furniture and deep cleaning is estimated at approximately $3,000," the city wrote in a statement to KRIS 6.
Campos called the claims "blatantly false" and specifically contested allegations about damaged property and extensive cleanups, labeling those aspects "lies."
Thank you to those who have refrained from gossip about my digestive issue. As you might expect, it is a very private and personal matter to me. It is the sort of situation you'd prefer to only discuss with your doctor. I wish the City Manager had shown discretion, rather than attempting to shame me.
Campos told 6 Investigates that the report is a "calculated attempt" by City Manager Peter Zanoni to discredit her—an attempt she believes involved pressuring employees to make "false statements."
The city responded with this statement:
"There was no evidence of coercion. Human Resources does not doubt the truthfulness of the interviewed employee's report."
From the employees working in the City Manager's Office suite to the custodial crew that cleaned up, approximately 12 employees were impacted. Some were so traumatized that they asked to go home early to recover and even called in sick on consequent days. Human Resources spoke with both the employee who filed this report and the custodial crew involved. Some individuals involved are tenured employees with decades of experience working for the City."
HR conducts hundreds of employee interviews per year and is experienced at ascertaining when a report is legitimate. To further ensure a nonbiased review, an external attorney was hired to provide an independent evaluation."
The investigation's findings suggested the incident created a "discomforting atmosphere" for the employee involved.
During a review of the report, 6 Investigates found that no photographs of the alleged incident were taken. The only photos included were taken after cleaning had been conducted.
The HR Department recommends future meetings with Campos and staff "should not be in an office setting when an alternative, such as Webex or Microsoft TEAMS, is feasible. If an in-person meeting is required, it is recommended that more than one employee be present and that the meeting take place on the first floor of City Hall."
An additional recommendation is that Campos "refrain from utilizing untrained City staff, and instead request or allow City staff to request aid from trained professionals who possess the necessary expertise and experience to effectively manage and safely navigate such matters."
It is unclear if the City Council will review this report, or would have to take a vote on these recommendations. The city said it cannot respond to those questions as it is "outside of our purview."
Manning said this is not a criminal matter, Ms. Campos is in no way prevented from performing her duties as a duly-elected councilwoman and reiterates she vehemently denies the allegations in the report.
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