'Bullying and toxicity': Cocoa Beach police chief led hostile workplace, investigators say
Cocoa Beach Police Chief Scott Rosenfeld managed with "loudness, bullying and toxicity;" referred to female staffers in sexist or misogynistic fashion; and made vulgar remarks about his officers, a newly released internal investigation concluded.
Rosenfeld remains on paid administrative leave amid allegations of creating a hostile work environment.
"It was observed by the interviewers that Chief’s loud, distracting and unprofessional conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive," investigative documents said.
Rosenfeld has been on paid leave since Feb. 17. The internal investigation is no longer active, and he remains on the job, Deputy City Clerk Bobby McCulley-Stacy said.
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"City Manager Robin Hayes will address the next steps with the City's attorney and with the City Commission," McCulley-Stacy said in an email.
Messages seeking comment were left for Rosenfeld. The Cocoa Beach City Commission next meets on June 1. City Hall officials declined comment on the investigation, saying the chief has obtained legal representation.
In October 2021, Rosenfeld was named one of four finalists to become Cocoa Beach's city manager. He was the lone internal candidate vying to replace retiring city manager Jim McKnight. The City Commission hired Hayes instead.
Rosenfeld was interviewed on Feb. 24 amid the internal investigation, and "he said he couldn’t understand what was happening, he was just doing his job. He recognizes he can be loud but that’s just his personality," documents show.
HR Office Savers, a Melbourne human resources firm, interviewed a couple dozen Cocoa Beach police and fire department employees from January to April regarding Rosenfeld's office environment.
Officers told investigators Rosenfeld referred to employees using homophobic terms, told an officer he should lose his “muffin top” during a vest fitting, told an employee “you look sexy when you’re mad,” and other accusations, documents show.
Rosenfeld denied or deflected most of the stories from his employees that investigators confronted him with, documents show. He said, "my life is police and Cocoa Beach," and, "we will always have disgruntled employees trying to take the boss down."
The investigators did not find support for a claim of sexual harassment against Rosenfeld, nor did they find support that he may have tried to influence the direction of the interviews.
"Chief stated that if things are offensive, he is sorry for that. He has no problem working on characteristics. At the same time, he said his personality got him to this position. 'I talk with candor,'" the investigators wrote.
Rosenfeld has served as Cocoa Beach police chief since April 2016, taking charge after Arthur "Buddy" Ayres retired. He joined the department in 2000 as a police detective/officer and worked up the ranks to sergeant (2006 to 2012), major (2012 to 2016) and deputy police chief (2016).
Before joining the Cocoa Beach force, Rosenfeld worked as a Melbourne Beach police officer from 1997 to 2000.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa Beach, Florida police chief accused of sexism, misogyny
