Former city councilman sues sexual harassment accusers

A former Washington city councilman is suing four women over complaints of on-the-job sexual harassment they made against him.

The Everett Herald reports Former Everett City Councilman Ron Gipson and his wife, Shirley Gipson, are seeking unspecified damages for invasion of privacy, emotional distress, defamation and loss of consortium with his family.

Ron Gipson spent a year and a half on leave from his juvenile corrections job as a result of the misconduct allegations. Gipson and the accusers are Snohomish County juvenile corrections officers.

Gipson’s lawsuit seeks to dispute a rape allegation that one of the women made against him during a workplace investigation four years ago.

Neither Gipson nor his attorney, Rodney Moody of Everett, returned calls for comment.