The Oregonian | By Austin De Dios | December 23, 2024
Multnomah County will pay $138,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by an interim division director and former deputy chief of staff to Chair Jessica Vega Pederson who claimed the county retaliated against her after she raised concerns that the chair’s office was violating public records law.
The county has also agreed to place Tabitha Jensen, who currently leads the county’s Youth and Family Services Division, on paid administrative leave until mid-March, according to the agreement brokered Monday. She will be paid a salary during that time, but the county did not immediately respond to a request asking how much she’ll be paid. Jensen will also maintain county-provided health insurance through the end of April.
Under the agreement, Jensen will resign from the county on March 17.
Jensen filed the lawsuit in November, accusing the county of concealing information on personal email accounts when responding to a public records request filed by The Oregonian/OregonLive. Jensen first brought her concerns to county officials in May 2024, after she was allegedly directed by Vega Pederson’s former chief of staff to use the chair’s personal email address to share a document laying out personnel concerns, records show.
In July, Jensen was transferred from the chair’s office to run the county’s Youth and Family Services Division. County officials at the time said the move was temporary and that Jensen could return to the chair’s office, where she worked as deputy chief of staff and then budget director.
Jensen applied to become the permanent youth services director in August after Department of County Human Services Director Mohammad Bader asked her to submit an application for the job. County officials ended up offering the position to current Commissioner Lori Stegmann, whom officials chose over several other qualified applicants.
Days later, Jensen was told she would not be invited back to the chair’s office, records show. The lawsuit alleged the act was retaliation in part due to Jensen bringing up the public records concerns.
Jensen filed a complaint with the county’s internal protected class Complaint Investigation Unit before taking legal action. That investigation was halted during the legal dispute and moved to the county attorney’s office, officials said. Now that the case is settled, Jensen and her attorney are asking the investigation unit to reopen the case.
“Now that this legal filing has concluded, we’re calling on the county to resume its investigation into the discrimination and harassment complaints that gave rise to the claim,” Jensen’s attorney Michael Fuller said in a statement Monday.
Vega Pederson defended what she said was the rare use of her personal email address shortly after Jensen filed the lawsuit. In a newsletter from Nov. 17 titled “correcting the record,” the chair said she rarely used her personal email for county business, and that only a few staff reached out to her at that email.
The Oregonian/OregonLive requested all emails related to county business from Vega Pederson’s personal account. Those records showed only a few instances where the chair communicated about county dealings through that account. Those included emails from her former Chief of Staff Chris Fick, the email from Jensen, sharing a job posting and sending one job offer letter.
The county declined to comment on the settlement, but spokesperson Julie Sullivan-Springhetti defended the county’s public records process.
“I can say that Multnomah County rigorously complies with Oregon public records law, practicing openness and disclosure,” she said in an email.
The settlement agreement makes clear that the county is not admitting wrongdoing in the case. Jensen agreed to dismiss the lawsuit within seven days of receiving payment, the agreement shows.
