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County attorney advises caution on deputy-treasurer grievances; commissioners consider written warning and short paid leave
Summary
After receiving grievances alleging increased monitoring and possible political retaliation in the treasurer's office, county counsel summarized risks (hostile work environment, retaliation, safety), recommended focusing on undisputed facts, warned about attorney-client privilege, and offered to draft a written warning and an optional up-to-two-week paid leave offer to stabilize the office.
County legal counsel briefed commissioners on grievances filed by the deputy treasurer and related reported personnel issues in the treasurer's office, outlining legal risks and procedural options.
The county attorney said his memorandum synthesized the facts gathered and provided legal advice but did not recommend a specific action, emphasizing it would be improper to do so. He urged the board to "focus on undisputed facts and to focus on stabilizing the workplace," and cautioned that discussing legal questions in open session could forfeit attorney-client privilege and that commissioners should move into executive session if legal advice or facts implicating legal claims are to be discussed in detail.
Counsel identified three primary legal risks: potential hostile-work-environment claims, retaliation or political-interference allegations, and workplace-safety failures. Commissioners discussed possible steps: placing a written warning in the personnel file for Mr. Lori (an employee referenced during the discussion), preparing a formal written response to Deputy Treasurer Librand's grievances, and offering up to two weeks of paid leave to the deputy treasurer as a voluntary measure to reduce tension. Counsel said he would prepare draft documents for the commissioners' review.
The commissioners did not take disciplinary action at the meeting but asked counsel to prepare a written-warning template and correspondence and to present those drafts for approval. They also discussed limiting Mr. Lori's courthouse appearances while elections remain active, as a temporary management step.
