State official fired for failing to address complaints of harassment against women

Governor Pete Ricketts announced Thursday that a state agency director has been fired. 

Byron Diamond, who served as Director of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, was fired after Ricketts says he failed to address complaints that a temporary employee bullied and discriminated against women.

Ricketts says Diamond had received numerous complaints that the unnamed employee was acting combative and disrespectful toward female co-workers and was told to deal with the problem, but did not do so.

The employee accused of the inappropriate behavior was also fired.   

Ricketts says he was “angry and disappointed” with Diamond’s handling of the situation after he was shown the results of an independent investigation into the matter.

Investigators talked to about 20 people and presented the results to Ricketts on Wednesday.

Chief Information Officer Ed Toner will serve as the interim director.