The Oregonian | By The Associated Press | December 06, 2021
The Legislature’s former workplace watchdog, tasked with fielding complaints of harassment at the state Capitol, says he was pushed out in June for revealing flaws in the Legislative Equity Office and is now threatening to sue the Legislature and top lawmakers for retaliation.
Attorneys for Nate Monson, the former legislative equity officer, say they are prepared to reveal more if state leaders don’t settle before they file suit, OPB reported and a tort claim shows.
In that claim, sent to top lawmakers and state officials on Monday, Monson’s attorneys, Kim Sordyl and Michael Fuller, provide additional details beyond allegations Monson made in June when he quit his role after just two months on the job.
Prior to the resignation, state officials said they learned that Monson had misrepresented his work history on his resume and there were concerns about mismanagement at his former job leading an Iowa nonprofit.
Monson’s lawyers described the investigation into his resume as a “witch hunt” that was only pursued after he raised concerns about how the Legislature handled harassment. Monson resigned in June.
“Mr. Monson was qualified to take over and repair the Legislative Equity Office’s processes and systems,” the letter says, adding that “obstacles like cover-ups, dishonesty, intentional foot-dragging and obfuscation” came from legislative leaders and staff.
Monday’s notice says Monson is willing to settle his claims before filing a lawsuit “in hopes of resolving this matter with as little expense as possible to the taxpayers.”
In 2019 — a year after allegations of sexual misconduct rocked the Oregon Legislature — lawmakers agreed to create a new equity office, tasked with accepting complaints, kickstarting investigations by outside attorneys and offering process counseling to help people who’ve been subjected to improper treatment understand their options.
The legislative equity officer position, held by an inaugural leader for a year then held briefly by Monson in 2021, was a central piece in the new system. Under the old system, many of the duties had been handled by attorneys and human resources officials with close ties to lawmakers.
But Monson’s resignation memo depicted the system for handling allegations of harassment in disarray.
Monson said his predecessor failed to document and follow up on complaints and had allowed legal bills to languish to the point that investigations had to be paused.
When Monson complained to the state’s top legislators, Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, the tort claim says, “Kotek called Mr. Monson and told him that she knew there were many problems in the Equity Office and kept saying ‘Whatever you do, just fix it.’”
According to Monson, Jessica Knieling, the Legislature’s interim human resources director, downplayed the allegations.
Knieling on Monday called Monson’s claims “false and inaccurate.”
“I trust the process will demonstrate I have at all times comported with my responsibilities under our rules and the law,” she wrote in an email. “Unfortunately, with pending litigation I am not able to comment further.”
After Monson resigned in June, the state posted the job opening, but it has not filled the position, OPB reported Monday. Instead, lawmakers have been contracting with outside attorneys to handle and investigate any harassment or retaliation complaints that arise.
