The City of Fargo is searching for a new Finance Director due to the termination of the previous director, Terri Gayhart, over a multitude of workplace issues
Members of the finance team expressed concerns regarding Gayhart's leadership, professionalism, and communication during a meeting with the city administrator on March 10, 2023
The finance team reported several issues with Director Gayhart, including a lack of professionalism, communication, follow-through, leadership, and being a resource for the finance department
Following the meeting, the city administrator placed Gayhart on administrative leave to investigate claims of a toxic work environment. The official leave started on March 31, 2023
Complaints about Gayhart's work surfaced within one month of her hiring in May 2022, leading the finance team to seek advice from city HR on how to communicate with her
An exit interview in November 2022 revealed that a long-time finance team member resigned due to issues with Gayhart, expressing feelings of being unwelcomed and unappreciated
The former finance manager alleged that Gayhart used ableist slurs and made inappropriate comments related to accounting
The exit interview also highlighted Gayhart's repeated absence from high-profile meetings with city officials, frequent lateness to other meetings, and failure to respond to emails
In February 2023, Gayhart underwent a performance review that addressed concerns raised by the finance team and other individuals. Expectations were outlined for her to improve team engagement