By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
Eight months after Lincoln County commissioner Casey Miller was accused of bullying and creating a toxic work environment and told not to work in the courthouse, he now has an office – four blocks to the north.
Since September, Miller has been told not to use his courthouse office after allegations he bullied employees and created a toxic work environment with statements at two meetings last year. An investigation cleared Miller of the allegations in December – but said he did release confidential information about former administrator Tim Johnson.
But instead of allowing him to return to the courthouse five months after that investigation, the county has leased an office four blocks north of the courthouse separate from other elected officials, department heads and employees.
For the past eight months, Miller has worked from home or from coffee shops where he meets with constituents or some county staff.
Miller officially lost key card access to the board of commissioner’s office Feb. 6 due to an human relations complaint, according to an email from Sheriff Adam Shanks, whose office is in charge of courthouse security and access. Miller shared the exchange with Lincoln Chronicle.
On Thursday, Miller received an email from the county’s human resources department that his belongings had been moved to an office at 407 N. Coast Highway and asked him to arrange a time to pick up the keys to the new space.
The office sits in a building shared with attorney offices and a massage therapist. Lincoln County did not answer questions from Lincoln Chronicle on Monday on the cost and length of the lease but instead asked for a formal records request.
The county’s office decision comes after months of turmoil, starting last August and September with conflicts over setting up a drug deflection program, Miller’s statements in meetings Sept. 18 and Oct. 3, the resignation of commissioner Kaety Jacobson, Johnson’s eventual departure, and repeated public and private clashes between commission chair Claire Hall, county counsel Kristin Yuille and district attorney Jenna Wallace.
Regular disputes at commission meetings has led Hall to propose limiting public comment to discuss only matters that are on the agenda.
While Miller hasn’t aired his grievances in the meetings, he stayed after an April 16 meeting abruptly ended to hear Wallace’s latest complaint and has advocated for keeping communication open and leaving public comment open to all topics.
“Keys to a separate place does not feel like a true resolution,” Miller told the Lincoln Chronicle. “I can’t move into this space as much as I want the conveniences of an office. It doesn’t seem like I should be complicit in solving half the problem.”
An April 9 letter from Miller’s lawyer to the county details 13 steps Miller – many on his own accord – has taken since last fall’s allegations and investigation. According to the letter he has participated in workshops, human resources conferences, ethics training and publicly apologized for his actions.
“I am compelled to note that in 28 years of practicing in the area of employment law, I have never had a situation where an individual has been barred from the office for this long period, including public officials,” attorney Sonia Montebalno of Portland said in the letter. “The length of time is, in my opinion, unwarranted given that Commissioner Miller was found not to have engaged in bullying or harassment.”
Miller told the Lincoln Chronicle he is not clear what he needs to do to get back into the county courthouse and work in the commissioners’ office. He hasn’t been given a timeline or a list of requirements he needs to meet, Miller said, and issues will not be resolved if he isn’t able to understand what else needs to be done.
“I feel like this whole time I’ve trusted the process,” Miller said. “But over time I feel like it just doesn’t seem fair.”
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
They cannot dictate to an elected official, do not kowtow to their bullying ways. Casey, you are an ethical, honest, transparent human who deserves the respect that comes with the job. This is wrong on so many levels. I am sorry they are treating you so badly. Hang in there
I believe Casey Miller is a good person but I also believe he exhibited very poor judgment in his commission meeting performance that started this whole chain of events. That said, I am at a loss to understand the legal basis for keeping him out of the county courthouse and offices, especially since the investigation found he did not bully county employees.
Are they worried that he is going to make inappropriate contacts with county employees, such as discussing personnel matters outside of proper channels?
I support the other commissioners and the county counsel, but I believe they owe both Miller and the public an explanation why he’s being kept out of the courthouse and any legal basis for doing so.