Whatcom probe on harassment investigation shows ‘systemic failure’

Buchanan, Elenbaas and Donovan apologized for the delay in the investigation’s work in a memo shared to county council on Tuesday along with the report. 

“Scheduling three councilmembers and an interviewee during the summer months proved to be very challenging,” according to the memo. “We wanted our process to be thorough and the focus to be on our employees.” 

The county council previously noted that the report was not fact-checked, but is simply a consolidation of findings based on the interviews conducted. 

The report made it clear that the committee’s scope also did not include investigating the veracity of the allegations against Hutchings or identifying the responsibility of County Executive Satpal Sidhu with regard to how the allegations were handled. 

Investigation showed employees ‘pushed back’ against letter 

The request for opening a formal county investigation stemmed from an April story by Cascade PBS revealing allegations from female employees against Hutchings, and the settlement paid to one worker. Cascadia Daily News reported county council members were unaware of the allegations or settlement, and Hutchings had been allowed to quietly resign. 

As a result, county leaders faced a 10-day firestorm of statements, rebuttals and official actions as they grappled with calls for change and more transparency. Eighty-seven county employees submitted a formal letter to the county, requesting prompt and transparent actions on the issue. 

It was later revealed by CDN that county administrators helped Hutchings secure a new position with a glowing “letter of introduction” to the City of Lynden. 

The letter was largely authored by Hutchings, with help from then-County Deputy Executive Tyler Schroeder. In the council’s investigation report, multiple people who advised Sidhu or HR said they “pushed back” against the letter. 

Hutchings requested the letter during the separation agreement discussion in November 2022 but that request was rejected by Summit Law, who was representing the county at the time, according to the report. Hutchings asked for the letter again in January 2023 and a draft was taken to Sidhu, who signed it. 

Sidhu came under fire from the Whatcom County Democrats Executive Board for initially defending his role in the county’s decisions. He later apologized for signing off on the recommendation letter, calling it “an error in judgment.” Senior deputy prosecutor George Roche, who signed off on the payment to the employee, also came under fire. 

On the afternoon of Sept. 24, the executive sent an email to all county employees. Sidhu told staff it had been a “valuable learning experience” for him and that he was committed to cooperating with the county council and outside consultant to implement the recommendations from the council. 

 “I assure you that we all want to see a culture of wellbeing and respect, an environment where each employee can thrive in their role at the County,” Sidhu wrote.

The Cascadia Daily News originally published this story on Sept. 24, 2024.