The town highway superintendent investigated for sexual harassment, workplace violence and retaliation has resigned, according to a statement from Mendon Town Supervisor John Moffitt.
The town received and accepted the resignation of Mendon Highway Superintendent Andrew Caschetta, Moffitt said in an April 24 statement. Moffitt thanked those who came forward with the allegations against Caschetta.
“This is chance to turn the page – to create a respectful, more supportive environment for everyone who works here,” Moffitt’s statement said. “We’re already taking steps to support a smooth transition in the Highway Department, and we’ll be sharing details about interim leadership shortly. Town services will continue without interruption.”
The Mendon Town Board authorized an investigation into formal complaints from several employees, which found that Caschetta’s actions created an environment of fear, increased staff turnover, and significantly disrupted essential public services. The investigation, the town said in an April 15 statement, found “credible and damning evidence of Sexual Harassment, Workplace Violence, and Retaliation.”
Town of Mendon calls on the resignation of Mendon Highway Superintendent Andrew Caschetta.
The same statement called for Caschetta’s immediate resignation, which was endorsed by Moffitt and Mendon Town Board members Brent Rosiek, Kim Roberts, and Jim Merzke.
In announcing Caschetta’s resignation, Moffitt said the town, its people, and its employees were his priority.
“We have a responsibility to one another and to our community – to rebuild a culture grounded in support, dignity, safety, and mutual respect,” he said. “That work is already underway.”
The town board could not remove Caschetta, an elected official, but sought to negotiate his immediate resignation.. The highway superintendent was “less interested in reaching a constructive resolution and more focused on suppressing the contents of the report and securing his own financial gain,” the April 15 statement said.
A former town board member filed the first hostile work environment complaint against Caschetta in August 2023. In the following year, six more complaints were filed through an anonymous employee complaint system. The town board approved a formal investigation into the complaints in October 2024, entering an agreement with Bolanos Lowe PLLC.
The full investigative report is available on the Town of Mendon website, townofmendonny.gov.
Steve Howe reports on weather, climate and the Great Lakes for the Democrat and Chronicle. An RIT graduate, he has covered myriad topics over the years, including public safety, local government, national politics and economic development in New York and Utah.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Andrew Caschetta, Mendon highway superintendent, resigns
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