Plantation Councilman Nick Sortal continues to spiral out of control following the revelation he made inappropriate sexual and racial remarks to a female employee while conducting official business at City Hall. Last week, REDBROWARD was first to report how Nick Sortal told a Deputy City Clerk that a “scuffle” between Mayor Lynn Stoner and his wife aroused him. “My dick is hard for this,” Sortal said. Sortal is running against Stoner this November.
Later, Sortal asked if any black residents were running for Mayor. When the Deputy Clerk told him no, Sortal said, “Oh good, Plantation will never have a black Mayor.” The Deputy Clerk made a complaint with the City of Plantation Human Resources department. An official City document shows Sortal admitted to making the remarks in a conversation with Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Jason Nunemaker.
Sortal refused REDBROWARD’s request for comment.
One day later, Sortal told an obscure student publication in Miami that the REDBROWARD report was “inaccurate.”
Last Wednesday, Nick Sortal called the employee a liar in a denial to the Sun-Sentinel. Sortal said, “the allegation that he also made a racial comment to [the deputy clerk] is ‘a lie. That never, ever happened. I’m not that kind of person.’”
“I feel it’s all about politics,” Sortal said. “I want to keep my focus. I’m not getting down in the mud. That’s not who I am.”
Despite the fairness of the Sun-Sentinel’s reporting, Sortal was angry the story included the “Oh good, Plantation will never have a black mayor” quote. Even though Sortal and his wife were longtime reporters for the newspaper, he decided to attack the reporter and her story.
ATTACK THE FEMALE REPORTER
REDBROWARD obtained an email from Nick Sortal to supporters urging them to contact the newspaper, the reporter, her editors and even the editor-in-chief Julie Anderson.
Sortal told supporters to email the following to the Sun-Sentinel:
“Tell them this article is inaccurate, incorrectly reported and should not be published.
Especially the black quote being recounted from one person to a HR person.”
While he attacked the story as “inaccurate” and “incorrectly reported,” Sortal would admit to making the comments just hours later.
REDBROWARD revealed how Nick Sortal emailed HR Director Denese Edsall just 4 hours after the Sun-Sentinel story was posted online.
Nick Sortal wrote:
I would like this added to the file regarding conversations between [the whistleblower] and me.
It is true.
Then, Nick Sortal claims he went to see the whistleblower after she failed to get a promotion.
Sortal claims the whistleblower said, “Stoner is a racist.”
Nick Sortal has no shame.
He admitted to making the inappropriate comments to the whistleblower. But, when the comments became public, he called the female employee a liar.
When the Sun-Sentinel reports the facts, he urged his fans to attack the female reporter and her story. Then, he makes a second admission to HR director.
Unprofessional. Unhinged.
Luckily, Nick Sortal’s sphere of influence is small.
REDBROWARD asked Sun-Sentinel editor-in-chief Julie Anderson about Sortal’s pressure campaign.
“Yes, we stand by the story. [Sortal] complained to us after the online version posted so we reviewed his complaints immediately,” Anderson said. “Ultimately we didn’t see any issues and published it in print as well. We’ll keep reporting it as it develops, of course.”
Anderson said an editor received one email. She said she received none.
Don’t be a Nick.
