Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A former Lewis County employee has filed a lawsuit alleging age discrimination and a hostile work environment claiming Lewis County Commissioner Bill Schulte engaged in an unremitting campaign of harassment towards her and even once chased her through the courthouse area in a rage of anger and abuse.

Sheila M. Unger, who was administrative coordinator for the county board of commissioners until September of 2010, filed her suit in U.S. District Court.

Unger is asking for damages in an amount to be proven at trial.

The complaint names the defendants as Schulte and his wife, the county board of commissioners and the county. It was filed Dec. 30 in Tacoma.

Through their attorneys, the defendants deny her allegations in a filing made late last month.

Unger was a full time employee of Lewis County from 1996 until Sept 23, 2010, according to court documents. She first began working for the county in 1974 and also worked part time, the documents state.

She is represented by Olympia attorney William Michael Hanbey.

Unger’s attorney writes that since Schulte assumed office, he engaged in verbally assaultive and angry tirades against Unger and made false accusations about her proficiency in her job. Schulte began a four-year term in January 2009.

Schulte refused to communicate with Unger, undermined her authority with her subordinate workers, and showed favoritism toward younger females in the workplace, according to Hanbey.

Unger’s age is not noted in the complaint, only that she is over 40 years old and therefore a member of a federally protected category.

She complained about Schulte to the other two commissioners, and submitted a formal complaint in May 2010, but no effective action was taken to curb his “campaign”, according to the federal complaint.

Unger took a medical leave due to the hostile work environment, the documents state.

It was September 2010, in retaliation, when the commissioner chased her causing her fear for her safety, Hanbey wrote. She was “constructively discharged” Sept. 23, 2010, he wrote.

Unger also alleges her personnel file was not kept confidential.

Neither Schulte, Unger nor any of their attorneys returned phone calls seeking comment.

Unger filed a tort claim with the county Sept. 27, 2010. She also filed a claim of discrimination with the Washington State Human Rights Commission and finally the federal lawsuit.

Schulte and the other defendants are represented by Jeannie Lee Bohlman and Suzanne Kelly Michael of the Seattle law firm Michael and Alexander.

Any damages Unger incurred are not their fault, the defendants’ attorneys wrote in their response.

The actions of the defendants were objectively reasonable under the circumstances of which the defendants were aware, and they enjoy qualified immunity, they wrote.

They maintain the defendants made a good faith effort to comply with state and federal anti discrimination laws.

The Seattle attorneys asked that the case be dismissed.

Updated at 12:34 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A couple who live next to the grange on North Military Road in Winlock lost their home to a fire last night.

It was the second time in less than three days that mobile homes were destroyed by flames in south Lewis County.

Firefighters called at 8:15 p.m. to the 600 block of North Military Road near Sargent Road found smoke and flames coming from some of the vents on the roof, according to Lewis County Fire District 15.

Nobody was home at the time and no one was injured, according to District 15 Assistant Chief Kevin Anderson.

While approximately 40 firefighters responded from Winlock and surrounding districts, the double-wide mobile home and its contents were a total loss, Anderson said.

It appeared it may have originated with a malfunctioning dishwasher, according to Anderson.

Mutual aid agreements in place with Winlock, Toledo, Napavine and Vader-Ryderwood mean crews from the volunteer departments join in answering calls to anywhere in the region.

It’s been a busy five days in the south end, Anderson said.

“I have never seen this many fires clustered around the calendar as long as I’ve been around here,” he said.

The causes have varied.

Monday’s mobile home fire on South Military Road north of Vader seemed to have started in an electrical panel.

Yesterday morning, the occupants of an apartment above a garage near state Route 505 and Jackson Highway in Toledo lost their home when a fire spread from a fifth-wheel trailer.

On Saturday morning, a two-story A-frame on Spencer Road outside Toledo lost part of its roof apparently due to a wood stove pipe issue. And then very early Sunday morning, crews responded to a trash can fire inside a bathroom of a mobile home on Grimes Road east of Toledo.

Having three households lose all their earthly possessions has kicked into high gear a group Vader firefighter Ruth Crear launched last fall.

It’s called Friends Helping Friends of Lewis County and can be found on Facebook.

The mother of four, who is also the assistant fire chief for Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20, created the group with the idea that during these hard economic times, folks could ask for what they needed or offer what they can give.

Postings just today include such requests as a TV tray for a woman who can’t easily hold her Bible at church to a microwave to replace on that’s making weird noises.

One person wants to give away a $9 coupon for baby formula and another is looking for a good home for a dog.

In just a few months, the group has grown to 943 members, according to Crear.

She’s delivered carloads of donated food and just this week, a van was purchased with more than $4,000 in donations that came in for a woman who needs transportation for her child who uses a wheelchair.

Crear says its been amazing to see the outpouring of folks around here.

“We have a lot of good caring people in Lewis County,” she said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

She and her oldest daughter have created a second group for Cowlitz County now as well.

Friends Helping Friends today announced it was donated space in south Chehalis for all the donations coming for the three families who have lost their homes since the beginning of the week.

“I suggested we gather donations and put everything in one spot,” Crear said.

The place is Safe Family Ministries on Jackson Highway.

Items can be dropped off or Crear can find people to pick them up, she said.

The needs? Crear said everything from clothing and toothbrushes on up.

The woman on South Military Road walked away from her burning home with nothing, except a firefighter found her debit card, she said.

“The one girl (in Toledo) was due in March and she lost all her baby stuff,” Crear said.

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Update: See the video about Friends Helping Friends of Lewis County from King5.com posted on Thursday February 9, 2012 at 5:57 p.m., here