Multnomah County’s former Preschool for All director who resigned under a cloud of controversy over the summer is poised to sue the county for alleged discrimination and retaliation leading up to her departure.
Leslee Barnes, who is Black, accused the county of treating her differently than white male managers and alleged that officials disparaged her in remarks to the media, among other things, in a Jan. 23 tort claim notice obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
“As a result of Multnomah County’s discriminatory, retaliatory, and defamatory conduct, Ms. Barnes experienced irreparable economic harm and emotional distress,” attorney Monica Goracke wrote in the document. “She lost her employment and future earnings, and she suffered damage to her professional reputation.”…