The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—After several months of attending negotiations, board meetings and public meetings, former Dayton Memorial Library employee Shakira Bye has taken formal action. On June 13 Bye’s attorney, Jane Richards, filed a tort claim on Bye’s behalf. In Washington, a tort claim is required when filing an injury claim against the government and must be filed 60 days prior to a lawsuit being filed.

The claim names the Columbia County Library District (CCRLD), Board of Trustees, each trustee, the Library Director, Columbia County and the Columbia County Board of Commissioners.

In it, Bye claims that she was wrongfully placed on administrative leave, and later terminated, from her position as Library Associate I.

The tort claim states that the library director and employees engaged in discriminatory acts and harassing speech that caused the claimant to fear reprisal and caused her to leave a work-related conference. It also states that the claimant was subjected to sexual harassment by a library patron on at least three occasions and the library director failed to take action when the harassment was reported.

The claim also lists privacy violations, stating that private conversations between the claimant and employees were recorded without permission, as well as violations of the Public Disclosure Act and issues surrounding negligent supervision and vicarious liability.

The amount of damages demanded in the tort is “over $10,000.”