Ex-Everett councilman loses court appeal over public records

Ron Gipson sought documents during the workplace harassment investigation.

EVERETT — Former City Councilman Ron Gipson has lost an appeal in a public records case against Snohomish County, where he works as a juvenile corrections officer.

A three-judge appeals panel on Monday affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss Gipson’s claim.

The records he sought involved an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct by employees at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. A report released in 2015 concluded that Gipson harassed women at work, among other findings. He denied the allegations.

Gipson filed his records request while that probe was ongoing. He objected to the county redacting details about an open investigation, as allowed under state law. He sued in King County Superior Court in 2016, but a judge agreed the county had properly withheld the information. The judge dismissed the case without trial.

Gipson served 20 years on the Everett City Council before losing re-election in 2015. He also has lawsuits pending against female co-workers and Snohomish County, alleging mistreatment at work.

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