Whistleblower who complained about Pierce County medical examiner placed on leave
An employee of the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office was abruptly placed on paid administrative leave Thursday, four weeks after she filed a whistleblower complaint against Medical Examiner Thomas Clark.
Dr. Megan Quinn, associate medical examiner, was told of the decision Thursday afternoon. The message was delivered by Dan Grimm, deputy county executive.
The specific basis for the decision was unclear. County spokeswoman Libby Catalinich released a brief statement and offered no further comment.
“This afternoon Dr. Megan Quinn, Associate Medical Examiner at Pierce County, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the resolution of an investigation into possible misconduct regarding:
▪ A potential conflict of interest
▪ Inappropriate workplace behavior including insubordination
▪ Disclosure of confidential information
▪ Violation of Pierce County Code 3.12.030 and/or
▪ An alleged violation of the County’s EEO policy.
The leave is paid but she is not allowed to act in any official capacity during this time.
She has been given a letter that lays out the details of her leave.”
The chapter of the county code mentioned in the statement refers to ethical standards. One provision prohibits the disclosure of confidential information.
Joan Mell, the local attorney representing Quinn, was quick to criticize the county’s decision.
“Outrageous,” she said. “Inexplicable. Dr. Clark is the one who needs to be out of office. We will be pursuing every judicial remedy available.”
Mell suggested that the basis of the decision regarding Quinn might relate to sharing information from death investigations with experts outside the county to ensure accurate assessments regarding cause and manner of death. She said Quinn freely acknowledged consulting with others, and that Clark was aware of it.
Quinn filed a whistleblower complaint against Clark in January, alleging misconduct in the course of death investigations. The most prominent aspect of the complaint suggested that Clark mishandled investigations of child deaths where domestic abuse might have been a factor.
The complaint triggered an administrative investigation by the county, which is ongoing. Quinn later filed a second complaint with the state Department of Health. It repeated many of the allegations that appear in the earlier complaint.
This story was originally published February 21, 2019 at 3:57 PM.
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