July 01, 2010 11:14 PM UTC

Minority Leader Mike May Being Sued for Sexual Harassment

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• by: Colorado Pols

From The Casper Star-Tribune:

The co-owner of the Holiday Inn on Casper’s east side, who is Colorado’s Republican House minority leader, in 2008 allegedly propositioned a female employee who was then denied a promotion after she turned him down, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Wyoming.

Rep. Mike May’s company, MARS Development LLC, also retaliated against three other employees who had complained about sexual harassment, according to their lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in April and later amended in May.

MARS Development LLC, founded in 2004 by May and Rick Hill, denied the allegations in its response filed last week.

“Defendant MARS exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior,” according to the response filed by the company’s attorney, James Worthen of Casper.

A call requesting comment from May at his Parker, Colo., office, was returned by Worthen.

The lawsuit is in reference to incidents that allegedly occurred in October 2008. In December of 2008, May abruptly announced his retirement from the legislature, saying he needed to focus more on his hotel business, before later changing his mind amid allegations (by May) that the GOP caucus was being manipulated in discussions about who would replace him as Minority Leader.