by Matthew Johnson

Printed with permission from the Review Messenger

According to a recently concluded investigation, Wadena County Auditor-Treasurer Judy Taves violated the county’s offensive conduct, harassment and violence policy. As a result, she was admonished by the Wadena County Board of Commissioners last week.

    County Co-Labor Attorneys Dyan Ebert and Melinda Sanders, of the firm Quinlivan & Hughes, presented the findings of their investigation during a special meeting of the board on Tuesday morning, November 28. The board authorized the outside investigation during its September 12 regular meeting at the request of Teamsters Local 320. The union’s grievance alleged a hostile work environment under Taves’ authority.

    Ebert told the board their report was actually issued by Michelle Soldo on Tuesday, November 14, and that Ebert and Sanders were conducting follow-up in regard to that report, plus addressing revisions to the board’s original resolutions made on September 12. Ebert said she and Sanders worked with and coordinated the investigation.

    “The conclusions that were reached were that Auditor Taves violated the county’s offensive conduct, harassment and violence policy. Based upon her ongoing behavior, which adversely impacted the work environment of her department, also that Ms. Taves attempted to terminate an employee in retaliation for protected work place conduct, and that Ms. Taves failed to follow a directive given by the county commissioners to put an item on the board’s agenda. Those were the conclusions that were reached.”...

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