Wash. Supreme Court published opinion — 989681.pdf

Citation: Wash. Supreme Court published opinion — 989681.pdf
Jurisdiction: Washington (state)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/989681.pdf ↗

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Sheriff Hatcher has been in law enforcement for approximately 27 years. He

began as a deputy in the Benton County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and rose to the rank

of undersheriff. He has been the sheriff since May 16, 2017 when he was appointed

by the Benton County commissioners. He then ran for election unopposed in 2018.

During his short reign as sheriff, Sheriff Hatcher has created a culture of

control that has led to a hostile work environment for many, if not all, of his

employees. The recall allegations mainly concern two specific administrative

complaints against Sheriff Hatcher; however, the declarations provided show the

2
For the current opinion, go to https://www.lexisnexis.com/clients/wareports/.
In re Recall Charges Against Benton County Sheriff Gerald D. Hatcher,
No. 98968-1

breadth of the concerning behavior. The sheriff’s behavior from October 2019

through June 2020 has given rise to 26 separate allegations of misfeasance,

malfeasance, and/or violations of his oath of office. See Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 49-62.

In October 2019, the Guild held a vote of no confidence and a large volume of

the members voted that they had no confidence in Sheriff Hatcher. The Guild

generated a letter that urged Sheriff Hatcher to resign because of domestic violence

and witness tampering charges filed against him. These charges were later dismissed

without prejudice.

On January 30, 2020, BCSO Lieutenant Erik Magnuson filed a report of

harassment against Sheriff Hatcher, alleging that the sheriff constantly threatens his

livelihood, interferes with his ability to express support through personal social

media to guild members and corrections department employees, makes offensive

comments about his religious beliefs, and has made threats of violence to him.