Investigation: Sheriff Hutchinson engaged in racist, sexist, bullying and retaliatory behavior in workplace
Content warning: This report contains disturbing content, including racist and sexist comments as well as homophobic slurs and body shaming.
MINNEAPOLIS -- An investigation into Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson found he engaged in racist, sexist, retaliatory and bullying behavior in the workplace for over two years.
The independent investigation, conducted by Amy Kern & Associates, began after the Hennepin County Administration received a report that Hutchinson had been hostile towards Sheriff's Office personnel during an April 19 meeting. The initial report claimed he threatened retaliation against staff members who reported concerns about improper time keeping.
RELATED: Hennepin County Board censures Sheriff David Hutchinson
On Thursday, the Hennepin County Board voted publicly censure Hutchinson because of the report's findings that he violated non-discrimination and respectful workplace policy.
"I support that we as elected officials need to be held accountable for our actions. We are not somehow above or exempt from non-discrimination and respectful work place policy," said Commissioner Marion Greene during a December 8 committee meeting recommending censure.
The independent investigation, conducted by Amy Kern & Associates, began after the Hennepin County Administration received a report that Hutchinson had been hostile towards Sheriff's Office personnel during an April 19 meeting. The initial report to human resources claimed he threatened retaliation against staff members who voiced concerns about improper time keeping.
As part of the investigation, 10 employees were interviewed, including Major Dawanna Witt, who recently won election as the county's next sheriff. Neither Hutchinson nor his lawyer responded to requests to be interviewed from the investigator, the report stated.
WCCO attempted to reach Hutchinson through his attorney but didn't receive a reply.
This comes almost a year after Hutchinson pled guilty to driving drunk when he wrecked a county-owned vehicle, sparking calls for his resignation which he did not do. The Peace Officers Standards and Training Board in October voted to suspend Hutchinson's peace officer's license for 30 days effective November 22.
Details from investigation
The investigation determined Hutchinson engaged in a "pattern of harassment and workplace bullying" in violation of the county's policy. He was also found to have "threatened retaliation" against some employees who were questioning the accuracy of timecards.
Multiple examples of this alleged behavior were listed in the report, some dating back to May 2020:
May 3, 2020: A command staff member asked Hutchinson if he needed any information in preparation for a phone call with Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell. Hutchinson responded, "Idk. Maybe. F--k you-ya bald mumbling f----t."
November 2021: Hutchinson sent a text to a staffer with a picture of a woman trying to button her pants. The text reads: "How do you know your girlfriend is getting fat? She fits into your wife's clothes."
Dec. 30, 2021: Hutchinson sent a text message to a staffer about a Black candidate for Sheriff, who at the time was seeking the DFL endorsement for Hennepin County Sheriff. He stated, "She get (sic) dfl for sure. Black all the (sic) care about," and "People are sick of black people getting things solely on being black."
The report also said that on multiple occasions Hutchinson, who is openly gay, used offensive and derogatory terms about gay people and commented on staff members' weight.
In 2019, he sent staff photos of a topless woman he saw at a Las Vegas hotel, the investigation found.
During an appearance on podcast this fall, Hutchinson was asked about some of these messages, initially reported by another news outlet. He responded: "We all have said in texts dumb things. I think we can all attest to that. I'm not a racist."
"Did I say that? Probably," he said later. "But it was in conversation like, gay people shouldn't get things because they're gay. As a gay person, I shouldn't have gotten elected just because I was gay."
It also detailed Hutchinson's alleged behavior following his DWI crash in December 2021.
RELATED: Video shows Hennepin Co. Sheriff Hutchinson claim he wasn't driving after DWI crash
"All members of the Sheriff's Command Staff, as well as some civilian staff, reported that since the Sheriff's car accident, the Sheriff has become angry and paranoid," the investigation said.
In one instance in February of this year, Hutchinson texted that he suspected that a staffer was talking to the press and stated that the individual "will be moved soon."
Additionally, all members of the command staff told investigators Hutchinson would frequently threaten people that they would be fired if they were doing something he didn't like.
During a staff meeting in April, Hutchinson "yelled and bullied" members of his command staff, leaving one of them in tears. Four witnesses said in their interviews that the feared Hutchinson because of "his behavior and emotional state since his accident."
Conclusions from the investigation
The investigation concluded that Hutchinson had a pattern of communicating in a demeaning and bullying way to staff at the sheriff's office. This behavior, and racist and sexist text messages, violated the county's Non-Discrimination and Respectful Workplace Policy.
The County Board during its November 29 meeting unanimously approved a new code of conduct for elected officials, including the sheriff, "to set clear guidelines for county elected officials to carry out their official duties and responsibilities while ensuring a respectful workplace, productive dialogue, and responsible, ethical conduct."
Read full report below:
WCCO has reached out to attorneys who have represented Hutchinson for a response to the results of this investigation.
