Documents Of Alleged Wrongdoing By Ex-City Manager Released

MILPITAS, CA – The First Amendment Coalition announced Friday that the city of Milpitas released a trove of documents relating to the alleged misconduct of a former Milpitas city manager just one day before a court hearing on the matter.

The coalition said the documents show that peers of former Milpitas City Manager Tom Williams filed complaints that he made "intentional false accusations" against a city employee, that he "routinely curses, yells, belittles and intimidates" staff and established "an environment of fear, anxiety and suppression of staff opinion."

The city released the documents - 109 pages which are available online - one day before the hearing was set to take place in Santa Clara Superior Court on Thursday, the coalition said. The coalition had requested the documents from the city in May and sued for them under the California Public Records Act on June 2.

The coalition said the city had claimed that a reverse CPRA lawsuit filed by Williams prevented the city from releasing the records.

"Under a 'reverse CPRA' action, any individual claiming to have an interest in government records sought by a CPRA request can preemptively seek to prevent the release of those records, sometimes before the person who originally requested the records has a chance to contest the 'reverse CPRA' action," the coalition said.

Calls to the city of Milpitas requesting comment went unreturned.

Ad Astra Law Group confirmed Williams is a client but that there was no comment on the matter.

"These records should have been turned over five months ago, and it's clear from the timing of the documents' release - the night before a court hearing on FAC's lawsuit - that the city's original basis for
withholding the records is indefensible," coalition Executive Director David Snyder said in a statement.

• ALSO SEE: 2 Students Arrested For Gun At Milpitas High School

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