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| If a board policy is not followed with fidelity, it is not worth the paper it is written on.... |
The Board of County Commissioners has a robust policy that details employee rights, responsibilities and avenues for reporting harassment, misconduct, and/or sexual harassment.
You can read the full, updated policy here.
The critical question for me is this though: What happens if our own policy is not followed?
There has been a simmering complaint that was investigated last spring and into early summer.
A final disposition letter was written by our HR department on June 24th.
But then that report was shelved and the employee who made the complaint was never given any closure. It appears to me that this employee has suffered retaliation in the wake of his complaint against a higher-up.
After I first found out about this whole nasty issue in early November---I asked about it!
The "investigation" was suddenly pulled from the shelf and re-started. That was the rationale given to me at that time for the document I had by then acquired still being classified as "confidential." I was told that in short order it would be releasable.
The timeframe for the final word/disposition of this long running harassment complaint that stopped and started in fits and spurts was yesterday at COB.
In communicating just this morning with the employee who made the complaint this past spring----he still has received no final word on the status of his complaint.
I asked all last week for the status of this matter from Administrator Gilley and our County Attorney. I thought the ten-day period for final disposition ended Thursday. I was told it ended Friday.
Friday was yesterday.
As of this morning, no final determination has been made so far as I can tell. The only assumption I can make is that because the employee that made the complaint was not given any answers at the completion of the timeframe, and because I have not been given any answers about the disposition of this complaint (which I have requested)-------- the final disposition is that no additional action will be taken.
At a minimum, whatever action is to be taken should have been memorialized in writing as our policy dictates. This has not happened and this is disappointing. Sure, there has been lots of staff turnover, and sure, we have as a county had lots of burning issues with which to contend.
But that does not relieve leadership and staff of their duty to follow our policy with fidelity and to communicate to us in those instances where (and why) these policies may not be followed completely and in timely fashion.
Meanwhile, I will be releasing the document today because it is now a bona fide public record that has been requested of me by the media.
This report was investigated and completed on June 24th. It should have been handled then, not now.
But it wasn't.
Is this also about the vexatious litigator the county pays 200K to unleash wrath upon a citizen with help from a commissioner and his ilk? Is it easier to shelve things -- sacrifice employees and sweep things under the rug and hope the public forgets or doesn't notice?
ReplyDeleteNo the public will not forget!!! There are many of us watching this!!! We are wondering how that person is still employed by the county! Hint: this should be handled immediately!
DeleteWill Mr. Selover be reinstated to his prior position and pay? I would assume since the HR report agrees that actions taken against him did not comport with policy and gave the appearance of retribution, he would be reinstated. When will the public be informed of his status going forward?
ReplyDeleteMichael P McCormack
When the Board of County Commissioners, have the courage as a whole to sit down and see what are the real policies that are already on the books and that need to be enforced and as a whole they do what it is necessary to enforce those actions disregarding as to who they may hurt. that will be the time when justice will prevail.
ReplyDeletePeople keep saying she is protected as a whistle blower, even though she reports to none of the people she has defamed. The truth is the real whistle blowers who all bravely stepped forward to file complaints have been systematically targeted and the board and administration has allowed it.
ReplyDelete