OSWEGO – Carol Thompson, a former local reporter, attempted to speak Monday night at the Common Council’s public session. She was shut down by the City Attorney Kevin Caraccioli; her comments, he ruled, violated the guidelines for speaking at the public session. It constituted a ‘personal attack,’ he said.
“A personal attack? Really?” she exclaimed.
According to Thompson, a homeowner in the Fifth Ward, earlier this spring she received an audio recording of portions of a conversation between Fifth Ward Councilor John Gosek Jr. and Lou Sorendo, associate editor at Local News, Inc. (Oswego County Business Magazine).
Thompson has been a freelance contributor to the business magazine.
“I am advising my clients, collectively, not to engage in a debate because, frankly, it’s not the proper forum for doing something like that,” Caraccioli explained.
“I feel the public has the right to know,” Thompson replied. “(Gosek Jr.) never apologized to me. He could have and he should have. We need to return integrity to this council.”
The sexually explicit recording was sent to her via Facebook messenger, Thompson told the council as she began to play the one minute, five second recording into the record. She didn’t play the entire message.
In the recording two voices can be heard discussing whether they would have sexual intercourse with Thompson. At one point, someone says ‘put a bag over her face’ and later ‘put a flag over her face and do it for your country.’ She is also referred to as ‘poison.’ One of the voices says, ‘I think I’d rather do her daughter.’
“I ask Mr. Gosek to put in his resignation letter and do it for our city,” she told Oswego County Today.
“There are five councilors leaving (at the end of the year). In my opinion, there should be six,” she said. “Mr. Gosek cannot deny they are his words as Mr. Sorendo identified Mr. Gosek as the other speaker in legal documents submitted to the state Division of Human Rights and the EEOC. According to Mr. Sorendo, this recording was made and sent from the home of Mr. Gosek.”
It wasn’t easy coming forward, Thompson said. The whole ordeal has made her physically ill, she said, adding that she suffers from insomnia, migraines and stomach ailments, “not to mention the emotional and mental impact. It is hurtful, degrading and disgusting.”
Caraccioli confirmed that Thompson has filed a notice of claim against the city. There is no formal lawsuit as of yet, he added.
“She did file a notice of claim. It’s been a while now, several months. It was on May 9. There’s just not a whole lot I can say about it,” he told Oswego County Today. “Any claim filed against the city of Oswego we take seriously. Our insurance carriers investigate these claims. The nature of this claim, as I see it, alleges that the city of Oswego is somehow liable for the conduct of another.”
“I’m not going to comment for the time being until after (the city attorney) says it’s OK. Until then, I’ll defer to him,” Gosek Jr. said following the meeting. “I can say one thing. There is no truth to it whatsoever. I never harassed anybody!”
In a letter obtained by Thompson, Sorendo said he “inadvertently ‘butt dialed’ Carol Thompson from my cell phone twice.”
He told Oswego County Today that he didn’t realize the messages had been sent until later that same morning.
“I am sorry for the embarrassing mistake, but also maintain that in no way, shape or form was there intent to sexually harass Ms. Thompson. I’ve always had the utmost respect for her as a journalist and have never had a conflict with her in the past,” he said.
In a statement to Oswego County Today, he reiterated, “I have a high level of respect for Carol and would never intentionally or maliciously hurt her in any way shape or form.”
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I would like to hear even more about all of this and most of all, the recording. Sexual harassment comes in many forms. Why did these men go to a sexual based platform when discussing her ?
Isn’t this just locker room talk? This is socially acceptable conversation about females for conservatives like Thompson and her Trump supporting son, Gary. It’s unbelievable that the vocally anti-entilmement duo would expect a tax payer hand out for “locker room” talk.
Get a grip.
She won the lottery and had the winning ticket delivered, no charge, (except to the taxpayers)!
What could the real reason for these allegations.
Could it be to create a scandal to promote the kiss n tell book that she has been running around telling everyone about
I SMELL SOMETHING FOUL HERE…
Yes, I smell something foul too, 5th Ward Resident. And it’s you.
And Sassy Sally –this is somehow political? Carol deserved this because she’s not in the same party you are? That is so ugly! Please, don’t do us liberals any favors. I don’t want anyone like you on my side. You are part of what’s wrong with this country! That “locker room talk” was deliberately sent to her. Why do you think that was? (People) needs to be held accountable, no matter what party. Please, be better than this.
Also… Reread this quote that completely commits them:
“I am sorry for the embarrassing mistake, but also maintain that in no way, shape or form was there intent to sexually harass Ms. Thompson”
hahaha no intent… yet, that’s exactly what they did.
Here are the highlights of this article readers need to focus on:
Gosek: “There is no truth to it whatsoever. I never harassed anybody!”
“put a bag over her face”
“put a flag over her face and do it for your country.”
‘I think I’d rather do her daughter.’
“inadvertently ‘butt dialed’ Carol Thompson from my cell phone twice.” TWICE THE KEY WORD HERE.
“that in no way, shape or form was there intent to sexually harass”
It has nothing to do with the city….so why is she going after the tax payers? It (may have) happened in his house, not city hall.
Old Timer, the council people are council people around the clock. If you read the articles, he was her council person and now she has no representation. Who can blame her for never wanting to talk to him.
It doesn’t matter where it happens. It doesn’t have to be on city property. Look at the senators and congress people. Those instances didn’t happen on government property. You can’t say it has nothing to do with the city. He is the city. Gosek and the council people and mayor are the city. Gosek represents the city 24,7.
Gosek denied it ever happened and if you read the article in another media Sorendo pretty much gives a rundown of the whole thing. He implicated Gosek and everybody knows they are good friends. So why is Gosek denying it?
You don’t butt dial somebody twice and how can you even butt dial a Facebook message? You have to be on the person’s page and open the conversation first.
Shame on Sassy Sally for making this political. May you never be on the receiving end of “locker room talk.” You’re just as (bad)as Gosek and Sorendo.
I could not agree with DJ more!!! As with all politicians, you are in that position, and expected to assume the” role “ 24/7 !!!! So yes , the so called “locker room talk “ is highly inappropriate, And for you Miss Sassy Sally, her son has absolutely nothing to do with this incident, so how dare you throw his political preference into this !! Furthermore a councilman is someone who is supposed to be representing their ward, and the residents of that ward, so yes , this IS sexual harassment!!! Why did as he even engaging in a sexually offensive conversation regarding her anyway!!! And to bring her daughter into it!!! For a mother to hear that on record!!!! Gosek should be ashamed of himself!!! As well as some of you who are actually attempting to dismiss and justify his behavior. But let’s continue this blame the victim, right???