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Scappoose resident accuses city and school officials of concealment; council and police respond
Summary
At the Oct. 20 Scappoose City Council meeting, resident Lisa Hides alleged widespread concealment and retaliation by city and school officials, naming Police Chief Chris Llewellyn and others; council members and the chief disputed several characterizations and said staff had offered detailed responses and meetings.
Lisa Hides, a Scappoose resident, used her five minutes of public comment at the Oct. 20 City Council meeting to outline a series of allegations she said demonstrate “a culture of self protection, not accountability” among city and school officials.
Hides alleged that the assistant to the city manager position previously held by Isaac Button was not discussed as a potential budget reduction and that public records requests for agreements involving Chief Chris Llewellyn and another employee were withheld. She said the Scappoose Police Department’s report for case number 240043172 shows the student involved in a September 2024 school incident was not identified until Feb. 1, 2025, which she said allowed a false narrative to harm her son. Hides also alleged Officer Steve Barnes was not disciplined despite documented misconduct and was instead hired by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and she accused police and school officials of retaliatory and privacy-breaching actions, including recording a private conversation.
“By preventing documentation, they raised evidence that the department had been warned in advance,” Hides told the council, and she urged officials to terminate Chief Llewellyn and the city manager immediately and to refer alleged misconduct to federal authorities.
Council leaders and the city responded during the meeting. Council President Tyler Miller said staff and the city manager had provided comprehensive responses to Hides’ written and verbal concerns and that, in at least one instance, the sheriff’s office had been asked to review a matter. Miller noted that some of the written assertions contained “misrepresentations, omissions, and mischaracterizations.”
Chief Chris Llewellyn told the council he had been officially appointed chief in December 2024 and that the DPSST (Police Standards & Training) website shows a two-year window to receive a management certificate; he said he completed the requirement in less than the available period. On the question of Officer Barnes’ departure, council comments indicated Barnes applied for and was hired by Washington County following that agency’s independent hiring process.
The council stated staff had offered to meet with Hides to walk through her concerns and cited existing processes for public records and personnel matters. No formal finding or discipline was announced during the meeting; council moved the agenda to an executive session later in the evening for an employee evaluation under ORS 192.660(2)(i).
What happens next: Council members said they or staff would continue to respond to the written records and that citizens can expect follow-up outside the public meeting when appropriate.
