BOZEMAN – The Bozeman City Commission decided Monday to suspend the city manager for one week without pay for his role in a background check policy that required job candidates to provide login codes for personal e-mail accounts and social networking Web sites.
Chris Kukulski’s suspension is expected to occur within the next 30 days.
Other employees are also facing consequences, but Mayor Kaaren Jacobson said Kukulski is responsible for how they will be disciplined. Their punishments will remain private.
The city had for years asked job applicants for usernames and passwords to their e-mail accounts, social-networking Web sites and other personal online accounts. But the policy was suspended in June after intense public criticism.
Michele Puiggari, a Missoula attorney hired to investigate, found that city employees made inaccurate and misleading statements to the city commission at a June 22 meeting. Her report said commissioners were told that providing such information was voluntary, when in fact it was required.
On Monday, three out of five commissioners said the employees’ actions warranted consequences.