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Crook County D.A. Faces Civil Rights Complaint

PRINEVILLE, OR -- A former Crook County employee has filed a complaint against District Attorney Daina Vitolins.  Charlie Burr with the Bureau of Labor and Industries tells KBND News his agency is investigating the complaint received in November.  "Any time our agency receives a civil rights complaint alleging an unfair, unlawful employment practice, we will conduct a thorough investigation. We’ll interview the complainant, the respondent; we’ll seek to determine whether there is substantial evidence of unlawful activity."  Burr adds, "We have jurisdiction over state and local agencies and any employee can file directly with us and we will take a look at it. Not with inherent bias for the complainant or the defendant, but with the duty to determine exactly what happened."

 

In the complaint, Traci Peterson claims D.A. Vitolins created a hostile work environment after she raised concerns over not receiving flex-time for required lunch meetings.  The document outlines a number of instances of alleged retaliation.  She says Vitolins removed her from meetings essential to her job as a victim advocate after she asked about flex-time.  She claims the D-A also filed a complaint against Peterson’s husband- a Prineville police officer who frequently worked with the D.A.’s office.  Peterson was a victim advocate for Crook County.  In the complaint, she says Vitolins left her no choice but to resign in October.

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