A harassment investigation into a high-ranking official from the Washington County District Attorney's Office found that he had been making explicit comments about the physical appearances of his colleagues, sending colleagues shirtless photos of himself and discussing his sex life in detail at the workplace.
Former Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey served during District Attorney Kevin Barton's administration. McKey retired this past April, having been on medical leave since September of last year.
A human resources investigation was opened into the 53-year-old's behavior within the workplace after he went on leave, reported The Oregonian.
The investigation, which included 18 witnesses, looked primarily into three allegations. McKey was accused of showing and sending shirtless images of himself to multiple coworkers without their consent, of making "sexually charged or body shaming" comments about both male and female colleagues and of sharing "detailed information about dating and sexual encounters" with colleagues.
Camille Hughes, a senior human resources staffer for the county, wrote in the investigation that "based on a preponderance of the evidence provided, including photos, text messages, and witness statements, all allegations of sexual harassment and offensive conduct against Mr. McKey are substantiated."
McKey had been a prosecutor for Washington County for his entire career, working his way up to become one of the county's highest-paid employees with an annual salary of $246,536.
The report on the investigation into McKey was released on Thursday after The Oregonian submitted a public records request, which had initially been denied, and later approved on appeal.
McKey issued a statement before the report's release, in which he expressed gratitude for the "difference I was able to make in the lives of crime victims," subtly criticizing the county's decision to release the report "more than a year after I left the office."
"As for this investigation," he said, "I had private conversations with people I thought were my friends and it certainly wasn't my intent to offend anyone."
He added that the conversations between colleagues occurred "in the context of decade-long friendships" in a statement to The Oregonian.
Originally published by Latin Times.
