Whitman County, former auditor on the hook for $70K

Whitman County and longtime former county Auditor Eunice Coker have settled a federal lawsuit for $70,000 with a former employee, according to court documents.

The lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court of eastern Washington by former licensing manager Christine Mikalson, alleged the county and Coker violated federal and state laws by hindering Mikalson’s efforts to take protected family and medical leave, as well as defamation and retaliation.

In court documents, Mikalson, a 23-year employee of the county, claimed she was denied necessary leave to care for her two disabled daughters, as allowed by the state and federal acts.

“Coker refused to acknowledge that Ms. Mikalson had a legitimate need for family and medical leave,” and “consistently and repeatedly denied Ms. Mikalson necessary leave,” states the complaint, which also alleged Coker began a “ruthless campaign of discrimination and retaliation” against Mikalson for seeking leave.

“Coker ... intimidated, demeaned, belittled and harassed Ms. Mikalson for exercising her right to take such leave,” and went on to question Mikalson’s integrity to others, including suggesting she was “under investigation for fraud,” the complaint stated.

In the federal complaint, Mikalson claimed she approached multiple parties with these problems, including the county human resources department, union representatives, county commissioners and several federal and state agencies.

Though Coker was advised she should not interfere with Mikalson’s attempts to take leave, the complaint alleged Coker did not alter her behavior and even redoubled her efforts to defame and harass Mikalson when it became apparent the county would do little else in response.

As a result of Coker’s behavior, the complaint claimed, Mikalson’s daughters were subjected to a delay in needed medical care and Mikalson suffered ongoing pain and emotional distress that ultimately led to her leaving her job with the county.

Also in the complaint, Mikalson alleged Coker’s tenure as auditor was characterized by financial mismanagement, ballot irregularities, audit failures and discriminatory behavior.

The complaint goes as far as to accuse Coker of engaging in “politically partisan efforts to alter the outcome of statewide elections,” specifically the Gregoire-Rossi recount. No evidence is provided in the documents to support that claim.