Lane County commissioners censure fellow commissioner David Loveall

Lane County commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday, March 3, to censure Commissioner David Loveall, following an outside investigation that found he retaliated against county employees after complaints were filed about him.

The Board of Commissioners’ vote capped a more than two-hour hearing in which the public expressed support — and opposition — for Loveall. Loveall, who abstained from the vote, said little during the hearing and called it an “illegal” proceeding after commissioners declined to let his attorney, Jill Gibson, address the commissioners.

Commissioners gave Loveall and his attorney an opportunity Feb. 18 to defend himself after he requested a public hearing about the findings of the investigation. The county’s outside investigation concluded that Loveall retaliated against three county employees, including County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky, after they complained about Loveall. 

In one instance, Loveall went into Mokrohisky’s office and told him to stop the complaints and “tell the employees to f— off” and threatened his job, the report found. Those underlying complaints included Loveall using religious language that included “blessings” and “kingdom work” when signing a birthday card and using the word “stripper” to describe a community member. Loveall has said the “stripper” phrase didn’t originate with him.

The motion to censure is the strongest action the board can take against Loveall. Since Loveall is an elected official, the board cannot strip him of his seat. Loveall, who is seeking reelection, has said the complaints and investigation are attempts to damage his campaign and unfairly smear him for questioning county actions. In a statement to commissioners before the vote, Mokrohisky countered that.

“Let’s be clear: This is not about political ideology, religious beliefs or free speech,” Mokrohisky said. “No one has questioned any individual’s rights to those things. This is about one elected official using his power to threaten, intimidate and retaliate against employees and claiming it is his right to do so. I have not and I will not be bullied into silencing or firing employees for raising workplace concerns.”

Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Heather Buch read the censure motion, as Loveall quietly listened, twirling a pen at times. The censure motion means that the commission accepts the outside investigation’s findings of retaliation and that Loveall violated policy.

“Commissioner Loveall has repeatedly acted in a manner not consistent with the best interests of the county and in violation of county policy,” Buch said.

The censure vote came after commissioners asked Loveall on Feb. 18 to apologize and gave him time to do so. He did not do so Tuesday. Instead, he asked that his attorney be allowed to address the board, a request the board denied.

Commission Chair Ryan Ceniga voted against the censure, saying he has concerns about the process and disagreed with the majority of the board’s decision to not allow Loveall’s attorney to speak.

In an emailed statement after the vote, Loveall said he has requested the full report and for its public discussion and been denied that opportunity.

“As I stated at the meeting today, I will not participate in a process that is illegal or an illegal meeting,” he said. “Every person deserves a fair and transparent process and an opportunity to respond to allegations against them.”

Loveall said the “serious matter has been handled in a reckless and politically motivated manner instead of with the fairness and transparency it deserves.”

Commissioners say censure motion necessary 

Three commissioners voted for the measure – Pat Farr, Heather Buch and Laurie Trieger. 

In a statement before the vote, Trieger said the censure is about Loveall’s conduct, not his politics.

“This vote of censure is not about anyone’s faith, beliefs or political affiliations,” Trieger said. “It isn’t about ideology, and it’s not about process or timing.” 

Rather, Trieger said, “This censure motion is about Commissioner Loveall’s conduct in response to employees raising complaints for which they have legal protections in so doing. It is deeply regrettable and more than a little disturbing to me that Commissioner Lovell refuses to take a shred of accountability, or to demonstrate self-reflection, regarding these actions.”

Trieger said dissent and healthy skepticism is one thing, but “conspiracy theory is something else altogether.”

“Commissioner Lovell persists in spreading a misleading narrative and causing great harm in doing so, threatening people’s jobs, publicly attacking our professional staff and calling the integrity of entire teams and departments into question,” Trieger said. “Denigrating and intimidating staff has no place here and must not be tolerated.”

Farr said he trusts the independent investigation.

“The issue at hand is not whether or not we are good people,” he said. “The issue is whether or not we respect the people that we work among.”

The board also unanimously approved a statement of unity in support of county employees that reinforced their rights to a safe workplace free from retaliation if they complain or raise concerns. The statement did not mention Loveall directly, but it came about in response to his actions. Loveall voted with his colleagues in favor of the statement.

Supporters and opponents offer lively testimony

Loveall’s supporters came out to testify, and the pending meeting caught wide attention: Lane County Republicans posted about it in advance on X, formerly known as Twitter, and urged people to show up, saying his is “under fire, surrounded by fierce political adversaries.”

Some supporters praised him for his faith, while others credited him for his work in helping redevelop downtown Springfield.

Chrystal Smead of Springfield stepped forward to the podium, and started to say the Lord’s Prayer.

Pete Goldlust, an audience member, started to complain that people in the back were talking. 

Ceniga, who is chair of the board, asked him to be quiet.

“Mister Goldlust, you’re going to be removed from the meeting if you can’t be quiet, please,” Ceniga said. “We have people in the back keeping track of it. I don’t need your help.”

Goldlust didn’t stop talking, nor did he leave. Ceniga recessed the meeting and security officials escorted Goldust out.

In a brief interview, Smead said she used to be a Democrat and no longer is because of their policy stance on abortion.

“It’s just those things,” she said. “Otherwise, I would probably still be a Democrat.”

After about 5 minutes, the meeting returned and Smead finished her prayer and said Christians such as Loveall are a tolerant group.

“As Christians, we walk through businesses every day in Eugene, Oregon, with the pride flag sticker right on the front door, and we say our prayer, and we still walk in and we do not try to close the stores down because we don’t agree with it,” Smead said. 

Others, like Chloe Longworth, have had enough of Loveall. 

“It’s really interesting that we had to listen to so many people try to cover Loveall’s ass  because he can’t cover his own mistakes,” Longworth said. “Maybe they’re not mistakes, but they’re f— ups anyways.”

Longworth added:  “It seems like the people that speak for him don’t really care. What they might care about is how this has become so public now, because he can’t keep his own s–t under the table. It’s pretty wild.”

2 p.m.: Updated with more detail from the meeting and public comments.