Thurston County Sheriff’s Office fires corrections deputy for sexual harassment

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) has made a statement on the termination of a corrections deputy following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.

Last August 4, TCSO received an internal complaint of sexual harassment with the corrections facility and an immediate investigation was initiated.

TCSO’s reported in a news release that its internal affairs division investigation yielded significant evidence supporting the allegations of sexual harassment.

“The investigation found substantial evidence of sexual harassment, and reports that the behavior was a longstanding issue dating back to at least 2022,” according to TCSO in their official statement.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders decided on Monday, September 25 to terminate the accused corrections deputy in accordance with TCSO’s sexual harassment policy.

A notice of separation has been completed and forwarded to the Criminal Justice Training Commission, which will review the former employee’s certification status in Washington State.

Sanders requested additional funding for sexual harassment training from the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners last September 12.

The board approved the request and the training will commence this fall.

 “Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is committed to the elimination, prevention, and thorough investigation of sexual harassment to ensure our workplace is safe and inclusive for all,” the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff Sanders stated in a social media post about this news release, “Work in progress. Short term, like most agencies we have significant staffing problems and this doesn’t help. Long term, we have to stay the course to improve long term sustainability and workplace culture which takes time.”