Omaha city department head was placed on administrative leave before sudden resignation

The head of Omaha’s Human Rights and Relations Department was placed on administrative leave by the mayor shortly before his resignation last month.

The reason for his administrative leave has not been disclosed. Nor was Gerald Kuhn’s employment status revealed when Mayor Jean Stothert’s office announced on April 12 that he had resigned. His departure came about three months after he was appointed as department director.

In an emailed announcement, the Mayor’s Office said only that Stothert had accepted Kuhn’s resignation, would name an interim director and had begun the process to hire a permanent replacement.

But through a records request, The World-Herald found that a letter placing Kuhn on administrative leave was sent from Stothert to Kuhn on April 7. Five days later, on April 12, a resignation document was sent from City Attorney Matt Kuhse to the city’s directors of labor relations and human resources. Both documents were withheld under exceptions to the state’s public records law.

Stothert declined to comment on the circumstances leading to Kuhn’s resignation, calling the issue a personnel matter.

Reached by phone last week, Kuhn declined to comment on his administrative leave and said his resignation was a “personal decision.”

A new director hasn’t yet been appointed. Jo Cavel, a former deputy city attorney, is currently serving as interim director, said Carrie Murphy, a spokeswoman for the Mayor’s Office.

Kuhn had held the assistant director role in Human Rights and Relations for five years before he replaced Franklin Thompson, who had held the top role since 2017.

The Human Rights and Relations Department is primarily responsible for the investigation, elimination and prevention of all forms of socioeconomic disparities and prohibited discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, public accommodation and contracting.

The department also oversees the operation of the Human Rights and Relations Board and the Civil Rights Hearing Board.

Before joining the department, Kuhn worked as executive director of the Omaha Early Learning Centers, director of vocational services for Mosaic of Omaha and as director of residential services for the Detroit Housing Commission.