Turlock's next city manager defends record after residents question past lawsuits

Turlock's next city manager is defending his record after residents raised concerns about lawsuits, allegations and millions of dollars in settlements tied to his previous job leading a Southern California city.

Dr. John Murphy was approved by the Turlock City Council in a 5-0 vote. He has not officially started the job.

At a recent council meeting, residents spoke out against the hire, questioning Murphy's past and whether the city had done enough vetting before offering him the role.

The concerns stem from Murphy's time as city manager in Palmdale, where he was terminated in 2022.

Three former Palmdale employees sued the city and named Murphy personally in the lawsuit. The employees accused him of harassment, retaliation and creating a hostile work environment.

One of the allegations was that Murphy brought a gun to City Hall.

In an exclusive interview with CBS News Sacramento, Murphy denied the allegation.

"My concealed weapon was in my home. There was nothing found in City Hall," Murphy said.

Murphy said he had a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles County and claimed he was "swatted" by people trying to make him appear to be a security threat.

"I had a concealed permit in LA County. That's not easy to get," Murphy said. "But as a retired officer, also with an above-top-secret security clearance, I was able to get that."

Murphy also sued Palmdale after his firing. He claimed his termination was political retaliation and said he refused to go along with unethical or unlawful conduct by city officials.

He said documents, text messages and emails supported his claims.

"That's why the city of Palmdale paid me substantial money after they saw the documents that I was able to produce," Murphy said.

The legal fallout tied to Murphy's time in Palmdale cost the city nearly $7.5 million in settlements.

Murphy received $2.23 million from Palmdale. Three former employees received a combined $5.25 million.

None of the claims were decided by a jury, and the settlements did not include an admission of wrongdoing.

Murphy said the Palmdale controversy does not reflect the rest of his career.

"I've served 23-plus years, and Pennsylvania had no lawsuit where I worked. Hobbs was no lawsuit. Florida, there was no lawsuit. New Jersey, there's no lawsuit. I would say watch," Murphy said.

Murphy has more than two decades of experience in local government. He has worked as a city administrator, city manager, assistant county administrator and township manager in multiple states. He also served more than 20 years in the military.

He said that experience shaped how he plans to lead in Turlock.

"I'm going to lead, not in town hall here," Murphy said. "I'm not going to be sitting in an office. I'm going to be out in the community. I'm going to be very active."

Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden said Murphy went through a background check handled by the police department before the council made its decision.

"We do a comprehensive background that includes FBI, DOJ, education checks, former employers, the whole gamut, just like a law enforcement background," Hedden said.

Hedden said the results were submitted to the city attorney and ultimately the city council for its hiring decision.

Murphy is stepping into a city that has seen 13 permanent or interim city managers in 17 years.

He said he understands residents may have questions before he starts.

"I don't ask them to trust me day one," Murphy said. "I will build my own trust up."