Allegations of sexual misconduct led to resignation of MDA director John Rounsavilles

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Gov. Tate Reeves’ office received a recommendation to terminate the employment of MDA Director John Rounsavilles 15 days before his resignation was announced. Rounsaville is expected to remain in office for another two weeks.

Mississippi Development Authority Director John Rounsavilles announced his resignation on August 13 after a state investigation into reports he sexually harassed and touched three subordinate MDA workers at a Biloxi bar during a business conference in July, sources familiar with the investigation and incident told Mississippi Today. .

Following the investigation, a recommendation was made to the governor on July 29 that Rounsavilles’ employment be terminated, the sources said.

Governor Tate Reeves, who appointed Rounsaville to the post in January, announced in an August 13 press release that Rounsaville would step down to seize a new opportunity effective August 31 and praised Rounsaville’s leadership at MDA. The statement quoted Rounsaville as saying he wanted to spend more time with his wife and children and less time traveling.

When asked to comment, Rounsaville sent Mississippi Today a written statement Tuesday: I did not meet my own standards or the MDA standards. My behavior did not reflect my character. I deeply regret it and apologize to everyone involved. I believed voluntary resignation was the appropriate consequence. And I hoped to save MDA, my colleagues and my family from being even more embarrassed by doing so.

Reeves’ office did not immediately respond to questions about Rounsaville’s resignation. These questions include why the announcement of the resignation came 15 days after the final report that recommended Rounsaville’s dismissal, and why Rounsaville was allowed to stay at work for another two weeks after that. Reeves traveled frequently and was occasionally out of state during the investigation. He returned in the middle of the week before Rounsavilles resigned on Friday.

Often times, when state employees resign, they make it effective at the end of the month to accumulate more service time in the state pension system. As director of MDA, responsible for the state’s economic development representing the state across the country and abroad, Rounsaville earns a salary of $ 180,000 per year. MDA directors generally also receive an allowance from a consortium of private companies under a 2012 state law. The total amount cannot exceed $ 250,000.

The incidents in question occurred on July 9, when Rounsaville, other MDA employees and statewide economic development officials attended the Mississippi Economic Development Council’s annual conference at the Beau Rivage Casino Resort in Biloxi. In the early morning of July 9, Rounsaville and others were drinking in a still crowded casino bar.

Sources said Rounsaville appeared to be intoxicated and offered the three MDA workers sex and rubbed or touched them. A state government official with knowledge of the incident described it as Rounsaville being obnoxious and drunk, clinging to them and making inappropriate comments, but said it was an isolated incident and out of character for Rounsaville, which they also defended.

Sources said the women were reluctant to report the incident, but more than one non-MDA economic development official who witnessed it promised to report it if the women did not.

The women reported the incident to the MDA’s human resources office the following week, the sources said. The state government procedure when such allegations are made against a department manager is up to the state personnel manager, not the agency’s human resources department, to investigate. As director of MDA, Rounsaville reports directly to Reeves.

State Personnel Council director Kelly Hardwick informed Rounsaville and the governor’s office of the complaints and opened an investigation into the case, sources said. Hardwick completed his investigation and submitted a report to Reeves on July 29, including a recommendation that Rounsaville be fired or resign, the sources said. They said the investigation concluded that there was no reason to initiate criminal or legal proceedings against Rounsaville.

Citing an exemption of personnel records from the state’s open records laws, the state personnel director would not provide Mississippi Today with a copy of the final report of the investigation into Rounsavilles’ actions.

Hardwick, in a statement, said: “It is my understanding of state law that matters relating to personnel matters are not public records. Thus, I cannot share or disclose any information related to the surveys I conduct without authorization. I have no further comment on this.

Mississippi Today also sent a request for correspondence and other materials about it to Reeves’ office, which did not immediately respond to the request or questions.

The three women are still employed at the MDA, and sources said to their knowledge that none had filed a criminal complaint or taken legal action against the state or Rounsaville.

It is Mississippi Todays policy not to name alleged victims of sexual harassment or sexual assault.

Under state personnel regulations, Reeves has great authority over direct reporting officials and was not bound by the staff’s recommendation to fire Rounsaville, ask him to resign, or take any other disciplinary action. .

MDA is the state’s primary economic and community development agency. As agency manager, Rounsaville supervised around 300 employees. MDA strives to recruit new businesses in the state, retain and expand existing industry, and manage state energy programs. MDA also promotes Mississippi as a tourist destination.

Reeves had appointed Rounsaville permanent director of MDA after serving on an interim basis since May 2020.

Rounsaville previously served as USDA’s Director of State for Rural Development for President Donald Trump’s administration, a position he also held from 2006 to 2008 under President George W. Bush. Rounsaville served as Deputy Chief of Staff and held other positions for former US Representative Chip Pickering and as political advisor to former Governor Haley Barbour.

Rounsaville is a decorated military veteran, serving as a JAG and major in the 186th Mississippi Air Force National Guard. He holds a master’s degree from Mississippi State University and a law degree from the University of Mississippi.

In 2017, then-government. Phil Bryant issued an executive order requiring all state employees to complete online sexual harassment training, after the state’s Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics paid for settlements in two separate prosecutions alleging sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Two senior DPS officials resigned over one of the cases, but not before reports appeared months after the settlements.

At the time, Bryant said: Everyone deserves a workplace free from bullying and hostility. I will not tolerate sexual harassment in agencies under my control.

– Article credit to Geoff Pender of Mississippi Today –

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