Humboldt County supervisors voted Tuesday to censure Chair Michelle Bushnell and remove her from her leadership role after an outside investigation found she yelled at and cursed at county staff earlier this year.
The vote follows months of complaints from county staff and an independent review that found Bushnell’s conduct violated workplace standards. Supervisors said the decision reflects concerns about professionalism and accountability in county government.
Supervisor Steve Madrone said he's seen similar behavior from Bushnell in the past.
"I have a growing, increasing concern over that pattern of bullying, intimidation, retaliatory conduct and abusive treatment of others," Madrone said. "I don't think it's necessarily intentional, but it does happen."
Bushnell said she regrets her actions.
“Not making excuses at all, but I have a fight-or-flight personality sometimes," she said. "It comes from past traumas of a very abusive relationship. And I work really hard and I’ve been in counseling for it for a lot of years.”
Supervisor Mike Wilson said the complaints should be taken seriously because of her position as a supervisor.
“It’s not just uncomfortable," Wilson said. "People are concerned about their job, about their livelihoods. They’re concerned about their place in the community.”
The board adopted a new process for handling complaints against supervisors a few years ago. But Wilson and others said this case showed the policy needs some refinement. Bushnell has also raised concerns about due process under the current code.
The board referred the matter to the county civil grand jury to review and recommend possible changes.
This is not the first time this board has dealt with complaints. An investigation largely cleared Madrone after allegations that he made disparaging comments about the Trinidad Rancheria in 2022. Supervisor Rex Bohn also revealed that he’s currently dealing with complaints.
