The mayor of one of the largest cities in North Dakota was forced to resign in shame after he had accidentally sent an X-rated video that was intended for his girlfriend to the city's lawyer.
Tom Ross, 60, resigned as mayor of Minot – the fourth largest city in the state with a population of 50,000 – on Tuesday as disturbing details about the message he sent city lawyer Stefanie Stalheim, 40, on January 14.
The two had just spoken by telephone about a investigated police officer who had died from suicide when Ross Stalheim accidentally sent a video message from him masturbating, reports the Daily Beast.
The city lawyer was still in a room with two human resources professionals when she received it.
When she then started removing the video, she saw a miniature with a stiff penis and decided that she was too desperate to remove it herself, according to the report.
Instead, she handed her phone to Monica Porterfield, an HR representative for the city, who removed the video – but eventually accidentally watch part of it, Kfyr reports.
During a subsequent investigation, Ross said that he was at home during his lunch break when he took the video – of which he was planning to send his girlfriend, whose name starts with a 'C', but accidentally clicked on the contact person 'City Attorney', says the research report.
The mayor quickly recognized his mistake and only about three minutes after he sent the video of him, he called Stalheim and asked her to remove the video and not watch.
Tom Ross, 60, has contributed his resignation as the mayor of Minot – the fourth largest city in the state with a population of 50,000 – on Tuesday
It only came in detail a few hours after a damn report the disturbing video that he sent city lawyer Stefanie Stalheim, 40, 40
He reportedly asked the city lawyer to keep the matter between himself, but when he described the 'sexy video', he made physically collapsed for his girlfriend, Stalheim and fell out of her chair because of the 'combined stress' of receiving the video while she still processed the death of the agent.
Weeks after that Stalheim was not sure if she had to report her boss for the incident when she told the researchers that she was 'extremely uncomfortable to communicate with him' in the aftermath.
When she finally submitted the incident report, city officials decided to hire Sambor & Law Consulting PC to conduct an independent investigation.
In the following weeks, researchers spoke with different city employees – including the mayor, who, according to them, ultimately admitted that they made the video.
“Ross said that he and his partner had discussed a upcoming date and that the video was intended to be sent to his partner in a flirty way to express excitement about the date and connection and intimacy towards his partner,” says the report according to KX News.
It also notes that Ross Adamanty denied that the video was once intended for the city lawyer because he expressed his wish that the incident will be treated internally.
“He saw his request to the employee to refrain from opening the video if suitable immediate corrective measures that minimized or resolved the problem,” the report notes.
But Christina Sambor finally found that Ross' decision to use a personal mobile phone to perform city activities and the fact that he would use that phone to record and send explicit videos was reckless.
In his letter of resignation, Ross claimed that it was difficult to be a full -time mayor and to keep a full -time job while he also tried to be a family man
She stated that the mayor knew the risk that he took by entering into such behavior.
She also noted that Ross' request to keep Stalheim the matter between itself and to remove the video was not a suitable request from a supervisor of a supervisor and was not in accordance with the intimidation policy of the city.
It also placed Stalheim in an unnecessarily difficult position, certain Sambor.
Only hours after the report was published, Ross sent municipal councilors his letter of resignation.
“Holding a full -time job while trying to be a full -time mayor and place my family behind my work and the chosen position has taken a mentally and physical toll,” wrote Ross, a father of three who also serves as executive director of an assisted residential facility.
'I tried to be too much for too many people. I failed, “the crashed mayor continued.
He added that he had a professional and respectful relationship with every city of Minot employee I have encountered. I am proud of that. '
“Unfortunately I abandoned them as a leader, as I do with many in our community.”
City Councilor Mark Jantzer will now take on the mayor's duties for the next 15 days.
On Tuesday, councilors also unanimously approved a motion that indicates that their desire to ultimately appoint a current councilor to fulfill the remaining term of Ross, which runs until June 2026.
They should therefore appoint a new municipal councilor.
