San Diego County officials are moving to tighten oversight of the Behavioral Health Services Department after a public‑records request exposed multiple instances of employee misconduct, including sexual harassment at the county psychiatric hospital and a racist comment made during an online diversity training.
Records reveal serious workplace issues
The documents, obtained after a year‑long court battle, detail a pattern of problems at the Edgemoor skilled‑nursing facility, which serves medically fragile adults, and at the county’s psychiatric hospital. One administrative analyst, who later received a promotion, made a racist remark during a virtual diversity session. County leaders said they cannot disclose specific disciplinary actions for personnel‑privacy reasons, but they are reviewing hiring practices and increasing supervision.
Supervisors call for faster public access
Most of the Board of Supervisors told Voice of San Diego that they expect future misconduct findings to be released without the need for litigation. “The public has a right to know when serious allegations have been substantiated,” Chair Terra Lawson‑Remer said in a statement, adding that the county is pursuing charter changes that would create independent oversight of elected officials and senior appointed leaders. Those changes will appear on the November ballot.
Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe warned that the problem has been tolerated for too long. “It’s not acceptable and it has been accepted within our system for a while now,” she said, emphasizing that change will require extensive work and buy‑in from staff.
Supervisor Paloma Aguirre expressed anger at the findings, calling the behavior “racism, harassment, and discrimination” that harms both dedicated employees and the communities that rely on behavioral health services. She urged the county to act decisively, make concrete changes and rebuild trust.
Supervisor Jim Desmond focused on the investigative findings themselves, stating he is working with the chief administrative officer to ensure appropriate personnel actions and to fix systemic failures that allowed the misconduct.
Calls for transparency and accountability
Supervisor Joel Anderson, who declined to comment directly on the records, highlighted his long‑standing support for open government. “For six years on the Board of Supervisors, I have been an unrelenting champion of transparency,” his office said, noting his efforts to strengthen public access to records.
County spokesperson Tammy Glenn said the department’s priority is to strengthen workplace culture, leadership accountability and employee support while giving the public more avenues to raise concerns. “We want to ensure employees can do their best work and remain focused on serving the community,” she wrote.
Next steps
The Board will continue to monitor the department’s response and will consider the proposed charter amendments at the upcoming election. The amendments aim to establish an independent oversight board that would review misconduct investigations and ensure due process for both employees and the public.
San Diego residents are encouraged to stay informed about the upcoming ballot measure and to participate in public meetings where the county will outline its new oversight procedures.
Original reporting: Voice of San Diego — read the source article.
