Six weeks after being fired, Kentucky’s juvenile justice chief is still employed
More than six weeks after the Beshear Administration acknowledged that LaShana M. Harris was fired as state juvenile justice commissioner following an investigation of alleged harassment and bullying, she still is employed.
Morgan Hall, a spokeswoman for the state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, said Tuesday in an email that Harris “is currently employed by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.”
The cabinet is not saying much beyond that. It had no immediate response Wednesday when asked if Harris is on paid leave.
Harris contends the dismissal action against her should not be imposed or should be modified. She claims the Personnel Cabinet investigation of her job performance was incomplete, biased and compromised, and that some staffers resented her because she is a strong leader who is a Black woman.
Harris’ lawyer, Paul Fauri of Frankfort, declined to comment Wednesday.
“I’m very puzzled about all of this. What’s going on?” said state Senate Judiciary Chairman Whitney Westerfield, R-Hopkinsville. “Either she is fit to hold the job or not. She certainly is entitled to an appeal but I am confused about why they are dragging this out.”
Westerfield also said he is concerned about operations of the juvenile justice department “during all this.” It provides services to sentenced, committed, probated and detained youth and their families.
“This can’t be good for the department. Who is taking care of business?” the senator said.
Harris, who makes $115,000 a year, was placed on leave Dec. 23 while the Personnel Cabinet investigated several complaints against her. During her absence, the Justice Cabinet said deputy secretary Ronnie Bastin was overseeing the department. She was appointed to the job December 2019 by Gov. Andy Beshear.
State records show that Personnel Secretary Gerina D. Whethers first informed Harris of her immediate dismissal in a March 23 letter.
“You are being dismissed from your position with cause because you have violated the Executive Branch policy statement on harassment prevention, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s policy against harassment, the Department of Juvenile Justice’s anti-harassment policy and for lack of good behavior and unsatisfactory performance of duties,” Whethers’ eight-page letter said.
An investigation found 21 allegations that revealed Harris “exhibited conduct that was harassing, intimidating, bullying and verbally aggressive,” the letter said.
Whethers also informed Harris that she could appeal her dismissal to the state Personnel Board. Mark Sipek, executive director of the board, said Tuesday Harris has not appealed.
On March 29, six days after Whethers informed Harris that she was fired, Whethers sent Harris another letter. It said she was amending her first letter to tell Harris “you are hereby notified of my intent to officially dismiss you with cause from duty and pay effective close of business April 7, 2021.”
Whethers also told Harris that she may submit reasons no later than April 5 as to why she should not be fired.
Harris, in an April 5 letter to Whethers, said she “was committed to transforming the systemic toxicity of the agency.”
She said her initial objective was to analyze the department and develop a plan with a team of more than 80 staffers. But Harris said there were some staffers “who refused to be accountable for upholding professional standards.”
She said she sent written reports about them to her superiors but the problems “continued without any administrative intervention.”
The dismissal action against her, Harris said, should not be imposed or should be modified. She called it “too severe.”
She claimed the investigation was “incomplete, biased and compromised” and that it “overlooked the hostile work environment that was cultivated by staff that were making unfounded complaints and allegations” against her.
She also said “racial incidents” occurred in the department a few weeks before she became commissioner, “such as someone leaving bananas on my door for over five weeks.”
She claimed some staffers were “not receptive of minority leadership.”
On several video meetings, Harris said, pictures of a monkey or ape were posted as a profile picture. In one meeting, she said, she saw a staff profile picture that showed a female monkey with earrings, pearl necklace and lipstick.
“We were all concerned because it was concluded that the picture referenced me,” Harris said.
She added that “there were male staff and female staff that directly rebuked my leadership, wanted to manage me and control the office operations.
“Being a strong female leader in the midst of misogynoir was extremely difficult.”
Harris also took issue with the investigation’s assertion that she was counseled by Justice Secretary Mary Noble and Bastin.
She said they held meetings to discuss the department but she never received counseling from them.
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