Toxic Leadership: When County Manager Eric Brown Values Dreams Over Employee Lungs
Chief Judge Lynne Jones has been sounding the alarm about radon levels in Washoe County's historic courthouse—you know, that building failing radon tests and creating an unhealthy workspace for the people who serve our community daily. Yet County Manager Eric Brown and his crack team of direct reports continue treating her concerns with all the urgency of a golf tee time.
Perhaps Brown needs a reminder: Those are HIS employees breathing potentially toxic air every day. Law clerks, administrative staff, district attorney employees, public defenders, alternate public defenders, sheriff's deputies—all working in a building that can't pass basic health and safety standards while their boss apparently shuffles papers and checks his calendar. Oh, and let’s not forget those silly residents who are in the courthouse that pay Brown and his crack teams salaries with their tax dollars.
Page 1 of letter from Chief Judge Lynne Jones.
The question isn't whether the old courthouse has problems—the failed radon tests answer that. The question is why Brown seems more interested in protecting his pet projects than protecting his people.
Could it be that acknowledging the courthouse's serious issues would require admitting it needs major upgrades or complete replacement? And could such an admission threaten his beloved West Hills Hospital dream project? After all, Washoe County can't afford both, and Brown appears to have made his choice: buildings over breathing.
Page 2 of letter from Chief Judge Lynne Jones.
The callousness is breathtaking. While employees show up to work each day in a building that fails health standards, Brown pursues vanity projects that serve his legacy rather than the people counting on county leadership to keep them safe.
And where exactly is the District Attorney in all this? He enjoys his comfortable office in the shiny new courthouse across the street at 1 South Sierra, with a lovely view of the Truckee River from his posh office, while judges and staff in the old building deal with failing radon tests. Chis Hick’s silence on this issue speaks volumes about his priorities—apparently "justice for all" doesn't extend to basic workplace safety for courthouse employees.
The message from county leadership is crystal clear: Employee health is negotiable when it conflicts with pet projects and political ambitions. Brown's staff mirrors his indifference, creating a culture where worker safety takes a backseat to budget priorities and personal agendas.
How many times must Chief Judge Jones raise these concerns before someone in county leadership demonstrates basic human decency? How many failed radon tests will it take before employee health becomes a priority rather than an inconvenience?
The truly toxic element in this situation isn't just the radon in the courthouse air—it's the leadership that views employee safety as expendable. Brown and his team have made their values clear: Dreams matter more than lungs, projects matter more than people, and legacy matters more than the workers who make county government function.
Perhaps it's time for county employees to demand leadership that values their health as much as their productivity. Because clearly, expecting basic workplace safety from Eric Brown and his team is asking too much.
Agenda Item 03 by documents on Scribd