SACRAMENTO, California — The board of the agency that delivers water to nearly half of Californians will consider firing its top leader over claims of retaliation, harassment and cultivating a toxic work environment at a special meeting Thursday morning, according to an agenda and three people with knowledge.

What happened: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California plans to consider whether to discipline or dismiss its general manager and CEO, Adel Hagekhalil, at a Thursday morning board meeting, according to an agenda posted Tuesday.

Metropolitan’s chief financial officer and assistant general manager, Katano Kaisane, accused Hagekhalil last month of harassing her, retaliating against her for sharing her concerns about the budget process and creating a hostile work environment, in a letter obtained by POLITICO.

“Throughout my nearly 30 years of government service, I have encountered toxic work environments, but none as hostile and dysfunctional as Metropolitan,” she wrote in the May 27 letter to board chair Adán Ortega.

Hagekhalil, in a text message, said he was out of the country and wasn’t aware of the full allegations against him.

“I haven’t been made aware of the details but I believe claims and allegations should be fully investigated and not taken at face value,” he said.

Background: Hagekhalil, a civil engineer by training, rose to Metropolitan’s top position in 2021 after working in street maintenance and sanitation for the city of Los Angeles. His job overseeing the state’s largest water wholesaler, with 1,900 employees, includes boosting the system’s long-term resilience with water recycling and storage, negotiating cuts in the use of dwindling Colorado River supplies, and steering the agency through a budget hole because of conservation.

Hagekhalil was appointed by the board at a starting salary of $400,000. Metropolitan’s 38-member board is made up of representatives from its 26 member agencies, including municipal water providers in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County and Riverside County.

The board of directors chose to call the special meeting after receiving Kaisane’s letter, according to two people familiar with board and staff discussions whom POLITICO granted anonymity to in order to preserve sensitive relationships.

More details: In the letter, Kaisane called the work environment at Met “hostile” and “dysfunctional” and described a “shadow leadership team” with highly paid consultants and aides, mostly from the city of Los Angeles, Hagekhalil’s previous employer.

“Our General Manager, Adel Hagekhalil, appears to view my role merely as a title, believing that anyone in his trusted inner circle can fulfill my duties. He delegates my authority to his assistants, who then direct me as they please,” she wrote. “Despite repeatedly imploring Mr. Hagekhalil to address why I am being sidelined, bullied, harassed, and disrespected by him and his trusted staff, he constantly dismisses my concerns.”

Kaisane didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Metropolitan spokesperson Rebecca Kimitch declined to comment on the matter, citing the board’s jurisdiction. She said Hagekhalil was scheduled to travel to Singapore this week.

What’s next: The board will meet in a closed session at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.