County Conducted Investigation on Bohn’s Behavior

Supervisor alleged to have pressured staff, acted in a hostile manner during a meeting

The county hired an outside law firm to investigate allegations that Supervisor Rex Bohn engaged in “abusive and hostile behavior” toward staff and attempted to “direct staff to disregard” an ordinance “for a special favor for his friend” during a June 24 meeting, according to recently released documents.

The current status of the inquiry was not immediately clear but the records, including the complaint and emails, show Bohn was notified in July that the process was being initiated, and he was given notice in late September that an investigation was underway.

The longtime First District representative, who did not respond to the Journal‘s request for comment on Tuesday, indicated in one of the emails included in the release that he would not be taking part in the investigation.

Bohn referenced the investigation amid discussions on complaint protocols outlined in the board’s Code of Conduct during a Nov. 4 hearing on the censure of Supervisor Michelle Bushnell, who has alleged she was denied due process in a flawed system.

“This is not a process. This is a very slow death by a thousand cuts,” Bohn said at the time, adding, “I’m going through this myself right now, before someone leaks it out.”

The Lost Coast Outpost reported late Tuesday afternoon that Bohn said the complaint was filed by fellow Supervisor Steve Madrone.

According to the complaint released Monday night with the other documents in response to a public records request filed by the Journal, the June meeting was called by Bohn and centered on the owner of a Northern California gas station chain who was upset about the non-transfer clause included in the Tobacco Retail Licensing Ordinance unanimously passed by supervisors in 2023.

At issue, the complaint states, was that three of more than two dozen locations the individual was looking to sell would lose their tobacco licenses once the deal closed under the provision, which only applies to unincorporated areas of the county.

“The ordinance aims to reduce the number of tobacco outlets over time through attrition and or sales to other than a related family member,” the complaint states. “Supervisor Bohn was upset with this result, even though he voted for the new ordinance. He aggressively pushed on staff to offer some sort of waiver for his friend and when they explained they did not have the authority to do that, he continued his attack on staff.”

According to the complaint, staff still said they planned to bring forward proposed changes to the ordinance in a month or two that “might deal with a license at a remote location.”

“Supervisor Bohn continued his rants and I spoke up and asked him to calm down and how inappropriate it was to be pushing so hard for this waiver,” the complaint continues. “He said, ‘I know I am an asshole, I am just an asshole.’ This is not the only incidence of this behavior on Bohn’s part. The tension in the meeting was still very high and at no time did Bohn apologize or offer an acknowledgement of the position he was putting staff in.”

The names of those in attendance at the meeting, except for Bohn, were redacted by the county.

According to an email, the county’s Director of Human Resources Zach O’Hanen notified Bohn on July 10 that a three-person panel charged with reviewing complaints filed against a supervisor “determined that the allegations should be examined through an impartial third-party investigation.”

Under a revamped process unanimously approved in 2022, grievances related to employees are reviewed by a three-person committee consisting of the county administrative officer, county counsel and the human resources director, that then decides by a two-thirds consensus whether a formal procedure should be launched.

At the November meeting where Bushnell was removed as board chair and censured after a third-party investigation found she acted in a “hostile manner” toward staff, the board majority also agreed to ask the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury to make recommendations on potential changes to the board’s Code of Conduct.

Bushnell apologized during the meeting and in a social media post the next day said she understood the board’s decision. But she also noted she had hired an attorney “because I believe there is a significant issue with due process — and that matters, not just for me, but the integrity of this board’s procedures going forward.”

A week and a half earlier, on Sept. 24, O’Hanen sent Bohn a letter notifying him that an investigation into the allegations was underway and he would be contact by an external investigator from Kramer Workplace Investigations for an interview, which he was “requested to attend the interview and to answer the questions accurately, completely, and truthfully.”

“The purpose of the investigation is fact-finding, and no decisions will be made until all relevant facts are gathered and you are given an opportunity to explain your side of the story,” O’Hanen wrote.

The letter also states Bohn was entitled to have representation at the meeting and he was notified the interview would be recorded. He was also cautioned in a boilerplate section of the letter not to retaliate against any employees or attempt to influence witnesses.

“To ensure a full, fair, and effective investigation in this matter, and to preserve public confidence in the County’s ability to operate effectively, during the pendency of the investigation, we are requesting that you refrain from discussing this investigation, including the specific allegations of misconduct against you, with anyone other than the investigator and/or your legal counsel,” the letter ends.

In an email response on Sept. 29, Bohn states simply: “I will not be participating to save the County Money, Thanks Rex.”

Kimberly Wear (she/her) is the assistant editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400 ext. 105 or kim@northcoastjournal.com.