RENO — Washoe County Assessor Mike Clark has been banned from county workplaces until a court hearing scheduled June 10 to determine whether a temporary protection order should be extended after he was accused of harassing a female employee.
A Reno Justice Court granted the order sought by the county on May 25 requiring Clark to stay 100 yards away from all county offices.
The application for the order provided few specifics but said Clark's conduct was "obsessive and borders on stalking." It said the woman who was referenced, an assistant county manager, indicated she doesn't know Clark and fears for her safety.
Clark insisted he did nothing wrong. He told the Reno Gazette Journal the order stemmed from material he copied and sent to 162 recipients including public officials, accusing specific people in the city of Reno and county commission of "political skullduggery."
Clark said he didn't author the documents, which he claims were anonymously placed on his desk.
The Republican first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 said it was not his intent to harass anyone and that he was only sharing information he thought was important.
"It's an absolute outrage," he told the newspaper. "They violated my First Amendment rights."
