Shasta County supervisors voted Tuesday to censure County Clerk Clint Curtis after an independent investigation found he made unprofessional and sometimes threatening remarks to employees, used county time for campaign activity and retaliated against a staff member.
The 3-1 vote amounts to a formal public reprimand of Curtis, who will leave office at the end of the year after losing the June primary to former Assistant County Clerk Joanna Francescut. Supervisors had delayed considering the censure until after the election.
The investigation found Curtis made unprofessional and sometimes violent remarks toward staff, including threatening to have human resources pull an employee out of their office by their hair.
Curtis denied the allegations during public comment Tuesday.
“I never get mad. I never yell," Curtis said. "It's just not me."
The investigation also found Curtis made campaign calls during county work hours and retaliated against a staff member for participating in a workplace investigation.
Supervisor Matt Plummer acknowledged that a censure carries no formal punishment beyond a public reprimand.
“This board can only do what it can do with an elected official,” said Plummer. “But we're going to say that you need to follow the personnel codes, and if you don't, there are going to be consequences to the extent we can take them.”
Supervisor Corkey Harmon cast the lone vote against the censure. He said he did not want to tarnish Curtis’ record before Curtis leaves office at the end of the year.
“We're getting asked to make a decision that is going to affect his record for the rest of his life,” Harmon said. "I'm not comfortable that I have enough information here.”
Harmon claimed that some people were left out of the investigation. Laura Hobbs, who works at the elections office and supports Curtis, said she was not interviewed by the independent investigator. The names of all those interviewed as part of the investigation were redacted.
Supervisor Kevin Crye was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
This is the second time the Board of Supervisors has formally reprimanded Curtis. Supervisors condemned him last October for removing local news outlet Shasta Scout from a press release distribution list.
At the time, supervisors said future violations by Curtis could result in censure.
In a social media post, Francescut shared comments she made in April, when supervisors originally considered censuring Curtis.
“For those of the community that believe this is a political move, I want to remind you that everyone deserves to show up at work and be treated with respect,” she wrote. “Our community needs experienced staff that know these roles and what it takes to get the job done.”
