FOX 12: Employee Reports Noose in Government Office, Washington Co. Investigating

The noose and an accompanying note were taped to the cubicle of an African-American woman who is a supervisor.

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(HILLSBORO, OR KPTV) - Washington County is conducting a human resources investigation after an employee said she discovered a noose inside a government office.

Vanessa Savage provided Fox 12 with a photo of the note and noose she said she found in the Department of Housing Services Thursday morning.

The photo shows a small noose taped to a piece of paper, which names another woman who works in the office.

"[Employee] is hereby terminated for dereliction of duty in that she willfully and with malice failed to protect her supervisor's office from vandalism during his absence," the note reads.

Savage said the note was taped to the cubicle of a third woman, her supervisor, who is African-American.

"We are public servants who work with a diverse population of people and even if it was just in jest, just the callousness of doing something so insensitive and cruel was just devastating to me," said Savage.

She brought the items to the department director on Thursday, then later left work because she felt uncomfortable, said Savage.

"Regarding this incident, the employee's allegations have been received and are being thoroughly investigated by our Human Resources Division," read a statement released by county spokesman Philip Bransford. "While the matter is under investigation we will not be able to comment further except to say that Washington County is committed to providing a productive work environment for all employees which is fair, civil, positive and respectful of each person's dignity and is free from all forms of discrimination or harassment."

KPTV - FOX 12

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