Two headlines caught my eye in The Herald last week: “Snohomish County settles discrimination case for $600,000” and “10 deputies may be among layoffs at county.”
The management lapses of Executive Aaron Reardon are coming home to roost at the worst possible time for public safety. Reardon is going to lay off 10 sheriff’s deputies and eliminate two employees who assist physically and sexually abused children and help prosecute their attackers. It’s fair to ask, could this have been avoided?
After he was elected county executive, Reardon removed the appointees of former executive Bob Drewel, his deeply respected three-term predecessor. The first victim was Planning Director Faith Lumsden, who was fired to make room for the hiring of Craig Ladiser.
The $600,000 settlement taxpayers are paying will be delivered to someone who worked for Ladiser and dared to stand up to the sexual harassment that ran rampant in that office, and ultimately led to Ladiser’s guilty plea for sexual assault. This employee received no support from Reardon when she complained about this behavior, and then was laid off after speaking out. “If there’s anything I have to say about my case is that it didn’t have to cost the county a penny if they would have addressed the issues in the beginning,” she said at the time. She concluded, “I hope there will be changes, but I don’t know that will happen under this administration.”
Executive Reardon announced his budget with the line, “It’s time for government to accept that the game has changed.” Indeed it is.
Sue Riggs
Lynnwood
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