EVERETT — More than four years after former top prosecutor Mark Roe left office, the county earlier this year was still paying to settle claims he fostered a toxic work environment.
In late February, the county agreed to pay $325,000 in response to allegations from ex-deputy prosecutor Travis Johnson, who claimed Roe made remarks about his weight as well as frequent “homophobic slurs and sexualized language.” Johnson argued Roe passed him up for a promotion due to his age and weight.
In an email Wednesday, Roe said “while I was Prosecuting Attorney, promotions were never based on a person’s size, shape, race, gender or anything other than merit.”
“The fact that both men and women have claimed gender bias regarding their advancement in the office sort of shows that,” he added. “Performance is what mattered. Period. That some chose not to like that approach is another issue, and I understand it’s human nature to want to find another excuse for why you aren’t being promoted. My blunt approach didn’t sit well with everyone, and that is unfortunate, but I was honest with my employees.”
Of the $325,000, over $211,000 will go to Johnson, while the rest will go to his attorneys at Frank Freed Subit & Thomas.
The settlement marks the latest development in a saga that has lasted years as prosecutor’s office employees have stepped forward with stories about how Roe mistreated staff when he served two terms as prosecuting attorney from 2009 through 2018.
Johnson’s payout, the fifth for claims against Roe since he left office, makes $1.7 million in settlements to ex-employees.
Roe called the settlements “purely sensible business decisions,” given how much it would cost to defend against the lawsuits.
As is standard, the settlement notes it should not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing by the county.
Johnson and his attorney didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
When Johnson joined the prosecutor’s office in 2001, it was his dream job. But problems began when he started working with Roe, the $1.5 million claim alleged last April.
On one of Johnson’s first days in the special assault unit, Roe put an image of child pornography on his desk, Johnson claimed.
“Welcome to SAU,” Roe reportedly told him.
Johnson was disturbed, but tried to hide his emotion, knowing his boss was testing him, according to the claim.
Johnson claimed Roe often made comments about his weight, such as, “Hey, big boy.” Roe would also question how much he weighed and throw paper towels at him when he left the bathroom, according to the complaint.
Johnson also accused Roe of making derogatory comments about women and insulting their appearances.
Roe also reportedly said he didn’t like “fat people” and had problems being around them. He’d make Johnson perform physical tests to see if the deputy prosecutor was healthy, according to the complaint.
Johnson believed Roe made it clear he would never be a top choice for promotion because of his weight.
“The abuse so affected Mr. Johnson that he ended up in the hospital due to stress,” the damage claim states.
After failed attempts to get promoted following Roe’s departure, Johnson resigned in 2021 after 20 years in the same office.
He is now working in the prosecutor’s office in Lewis County.
“He believed he would remain with Snohomish County for his entire professional life,” Johnson’s claim read. “But the long-term damage and discriminatory treatment nearly killed him. Had Mr. Johnson been treated with just a small measure of respect and decency from the leadership of his former employers, he would still be serving the people of Snohomish County to this day.”
Previous allegations against Roe included retaliation for complaining about the workplace environment, openly discussing his preference for skinny women and denying full maternity leave to female attorneys.
Roe has denied many of the claims that led to settlements.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.
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