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Investigation: Falls didn't face hostile work environment Corey Falls Wednesday Dec 28, 2016 at 7:51 PM Dec 29, 2016 at 2:11 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous A previously unreleased investigative report said Jackson County Sheriff Corey Falls wasn't subjected to a hostile work environment and should have welcomed the advice and mentoring of other high-ranking county officials who wanted to help him as a newly elected sheriff. "Sheriff Falls is not working in a hostile work environment, and has not been subject to a hostile work place," the report said. Jackson County released the Feb. 26 confidential report Wednesday after Falls held a press conference this week and said he was treated in a demeaning manner by Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan, Senior Deputy County Administrator Harvey Bragg and Jackson County Budget Committee members Craig Morris and Dick Rudisile. The county had received public information requests for the report, including from the Mail Tribune. Falls said the disrespect was a factor in his decision to take a job in Gresham. His last day as sheriff is Friday. In December 2015, Falls sent a letter to Jackson County Human Resources saying he had been subjected to a hostile work environment after he was elected sheriff in the November 2014 election. Falls said he was treated in an unprofessional, demeaning and discriminatory manner. Jackson County hired outside independent investigators Kenneth Bauman, a lawyer, and Charles Akin Blitz, a lawyer and former FBI agent. The investigators interviewed Falls and numerous people with the county, eventually issuing a 108-page preliminary report. The investigators recommended that the report remain private and that those involved resolve their issues internally, out of public view. Falls withdrew his complaint letter, and the report was kept under wraps until now. The investigators said the trouble began when Falls wrongly assumed he would come into office and receive the same salary as outgoing Sheriff Mike Winters, who had served three terms and was receiving $132,000. However, Jackson County has a policy to pay newly elected officials at step one of a pay scale, meaning Falls would receive $21,611 less than Winters. "Sheriff Falls' expectation and his subsequent unhappiness were the product of his failure to do his 'due diligence' to determine what his salary would be if he were elected sheriff. ... Unfortunately this awareness came too late and at a cost of disappointment and a perception of unfairness," the report said. The investigators said the mistake was easy for Falls to make. They said Jackson County's policy is flawed because it couldn't take into account Falls' exceptionally high qualifications and experience. However, they said the policy was applied equally and consistently. Falls told investigators he had given up an opportunity to become Ashland police chief to run for sheriff based in part on his expectations about the sheriff's salary. He was deputy police chief in Ashland before becoming sheriff. The investigators said people who secure a top position in an organization often become isolated and fail to develop relationships with other leaders. Falls repeatedly took offense at others' efforts to help him, especially when it came to Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan. At the time the February report was issued, Falls was already applying for other jobs and didn't intend to remain in office as sheriff, the investigators said. If he were to stay, the report advised that he and top county officials start over and try to mutually respect and appreciate each other. In his December 2015 letter of complaint to the county, Falls said, "I have examples of unprofessional conversations, demeaning comments, undermining of my position, discriminatory treatment, and being micromanaged. I believe these micro aggressions are becoming a pattern and are an act to bully me." Falls said he was subjected to excessive meetings and phone calls, audits of the sheriff's office, discrimination, demeaning and humiliating actions and comments on how he was compensated. He asked for an immediate stop to the negative behavior. The report said Jordan has a practice of meeting regularly with newly elected county officials and department heads for communication and mentoring. Falls began to cancel his meetings with Jordan, but didn't tell Jordan he thought the number of meetings was excessive. "Administrator Jordan obviously 'got the message' and ended his meetings with Sheriff Falls," the report said. Investigators said Jordan's intent was to be helpful and of service to Falls. The report also delved into miscommunication and differing perceptions between Falls and Budget Committee members. Falls closed a section of the jail because it could not be staffed without forced overtime. Those who worked there were falling behind on training requirements. He also cut staffing of the traffic enforcement team over concerns the public thought the sheriff's office was writing tickets to generate revenue. Budget Committee members were frustrated that Falls did not provide enough data explaining his justification for the jail section closure. The report said Falls didn't give enough consideration to Budget Committee and commissioners' concerns about the importance of traffic enforcement to address serious road safety issues. Budget Committee members perceived Falls' desire to close part of the jail and cut back on traffic enforcement as a threat and an effort to get funding for more sheriff's office employees, the report said. The investigators noted Jordan tried to de-escalate tensions between Falls and Budget Committee members by offering to work with Falls on budget issues. "It appears to us that Sheriff Falls has not given due regard to the primary charge of the Budget Committee — that is, to insure expenditures do not exceed revenue and that the overall budget is consistent with the service priorities of the Board of Commissioners and the citizens of Jackson County," investigators said. At the same time, others in the county didn't fully appreciate the reasons behind Falls' decisions and actions, and the increasing pressures faced by the sheriff's office. While the number of employees was down, sheriff's office calls for service increased more than 100 percent and priority calls increased 21 percent. Still, the department was able to improve its response times to priority calls. The report recommended Jordan and Falls communicate fully, act collaboratively and recognize and accept each others' roles, responsibilities and authority. It said Falls believed too much in the independence of the sheriff as an elected official, instead of seeing himself as part of a team with other county leaders. The report recommended Falls develop collaborative relationships with county administrators, commissioners and committee members. The report said federal and state employment laws do not protect elected officials against a hostile work environment, discriminatory treatment, micro aggressions, bullying, demeaning treatment, humiliating actions and disparate treatment. Falls does not have protected status for a legal discrimination claim against the county. Sheriff Falls Complaint by Mail Tribune on Scribd Falls Withdrawal Letter by Mail Tribune on Scribd Preliminary Draft of Investigatory Report Re Falls by Mail Tribune on Scribd — Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.