City General Services Director Paul Page has been suspended without pay following an investigation of a sexual harassment complaint.

City officials said he has been placed on a corrective action plan requiring attendance in a sensitivity and harassment prevention program.

He was also instructed to complete a mandatory referral on the subject of inappropriate comments and behavior identified in the investigation.

And he will be required to work with Personnel Administrator Donna Kelley regarding the city's policies and procedures for employment and promotion.

His suspension begins Monday and lasts "until all requisites are complete."

Officials said, "Mr. Page has also been warned that any reoccurrence of such behavior or retaliation against any persons involved in this complaint will result in immediate termination.

"The investigation substantiated only three out of 13 claims. The city of Chattanooga employee who filed the complaint will be required to participate in the city's harassment prevention program and has been instructed to follow proper procedures in a timely manner when reporting any type of harassment."

The investigation was carried out by former FBI agent Bill Curtis, who charged the city $944.

One employee said Mr. Page, contrary to city policy, actually lives with his wife, Elizabeth, in Georgia. He said he has a house in East Ridge, but that is for appearance's sake.

He said Mr. Page made crude comments about people and made a crude joke about Hillary Clinton.

The employee said Atlas Bolt Company contributed heavily to the Ron Littlefield mayoral campaign, and the owner of the firm had complained he was not getting any city business. He said Mr. Page made sure Atlas was on the city's list of vendors and told an employee at the fire department to buy from Atlas.

He and other employees said Mr. Page had kisses pasted on his office window, and women would stop and kiss them.

He said Mr. Page goes to places that pay low wages, like the Dollar Store, Wendy's and Cici's Pizza, and tried to hire workers for the city.

Another employee called Mr. Page "a good man" and said he had not made sexual comments around her. She did say she had heard the Hillary joke.

Another female employee also spoke in favor of Mr. Page. She did admit kissing the lips on his window, saying it was a joke.

A woman at the city health and wellness center said Mr. Page had put his arm around her and hugged her tightly. She said she later asked, "Who was that creep?"

Another employee said Mr. Page made crude comments when telling a woman how her daughter could avoid getting pregnant.

She said Mr. Page always referred to women by their breast size.

The woman said Mr. Page refuses to go to the health and wellness clinic unless a certain nurse practitioner is on duty.

The woman who brought the complaint said Mr. Page was involved in her hiring and it was not done according to the city personnel policy.

She said he made a number of sexual comments to her and asked her to vote for his nephew for the 2008 Cosmopolitan Hottest Bachelor of the Year.

She said he often referred to women's "boobs."

Mr. Page, who has been in his current job for three years, said there was no basis whatsoever for sexual harassment charges against him.

He said it was "a planned attack on him" in an attempt to block him from letting a probationary employee go.

He denied having an obsession with women's breasts or making many of the sexual comments attributed to him.

He denied he had bypassed the city's hiring procedures.

Mr. Page said he lives in East Ridge, but goes to his wife's house in Rossville on weekends.

He said he "does not touch the ladies he works with. He doesn't talk to women inappropriately. He doesn't belittle anyone."