Congresswoman Hoyle accused of harassment, discrimination

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Former Oregon Labor Commissioner and current Oregon Congresswoman Val Hoyle, is involved in a coverup of harassment and race discrimination allegation by the former state agency she ran – BOLI.

Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries’ mission is to protect worker’s rights through enforcement of state labor laws and ensuring workers have access to their rights by investigating worker claims and complaints.

But when Carol Johnson, the former Black woman who served as BOLI’s civil rights official, reported she suspected a co-worker mailed a package of animal poop to her home, which along with other workplace hostility, made her feel threatened, she was discredited by her own agency. Carol felt so threatened she eventually resigned. And now she is suing in Multnomah County Court.

What did the agency that claims it protects worker’s rights and investigates worker complaints do with Johnson’s complaint?

They hired a very experienced, expensive outside lawyer with $158,000 in taxpayer funds to “investigate” themselves. The investigator was “unable” to locate a police report about the incident after leaving one voicemail with one law enforcement official. She also failed to obtain the 8-page Portland Police Bureau report about the incident that would have corroborated Johnson’s claims.

The Oregonian/OregonLive uncovered the police report which directly conflicts with BOLI’s internal investigation exonerating their manager accused of race discrimination and harassment.

The police report confirmed that ‘Poop Senders’ sent a package that arrived at Johnson’s home when she said it did. BOLI investigators had claimed the package arrived after Johnson filed her claim, discrediting her complaint and damaging her reputation.

Also, Labor Commissioner Hoyle and Johnson both suspected a disgruntled BOLI employee who lived in the same building as Johnson sent the menacing package, but the employee was never questioned by BOLI’s investigator.

Val Hoyle and the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries really stepped in it. Now they are answering for their actions in court. How much more will taxpayers have to cough up to pay for the damage of BOLI’s bogus non-investigation, investigation?