County Manager Eric Brown Cares More About a Pet Board than a Senior Board

Picon pondered why the press didn’t inquire about the Zoom Bomb of a Washoe County Senior Advisory Board Meeting on February 5, 2025, but when the Regional Animal Services meeting was Zoom Bombed on February 21, 2025 the media had questions. Was this only due to a social media post by an Animal Services Board member?

In a surprising display of priorities, Washoe County officials sprang into action after offensive "Zoom Bombers" crashed an Animal Advisory Board meeting—but couldn't be bothered when the exact same thing happened to a room full of senior citizens earlier this month.

County Commissioner Mike Clark called out this blatant double standard during yesterday's commissioner comments, noting that when the Senior Advisory Board meeting was disrupted on February 5th, the response was essentially a half-hearted email saying "Oops, our bad!" Meanwhile, the recent animal board incident triggered a full-scale response with County Manager Eric Brown and the IT Director suddenly developing an intense interest in Zoom security protocols.

Washoe County’s response to the Zoom Bombing on February 5, 2025.

For those unfamiliar with the term, "Zoom Bombing" involves hijacking a meeting to share offensive, racist content while unleashing a torrent of profanity—something apparently not considered urgent when directed at seniors, but an absolute emergency when it might upset pet enthusiasts.

Emails from County Manager Eric Brown and Chief Information Officer Behzad Zamanian - 16 days after the Senior Advisory Board Meeting, but the same day as the Animal Advisory Board meeting, Why no involvement from Manager Brown and Chief IO Zamanian when the Senior Advisory Board Meeting Zoom Bomb took place.

The difference? A social media post from an Animal Advisory Board member seemingly carries more weight than the dignity of the county's elderly population.

The irony wasn't lost on Commissioner Clark, who pointed out that County Manager Brown is himself a senior citizen—making his selective outrage all the more perplexing. Perhaps Brown forgot which demographic he belongs to, or maybe in Washoe County, barks simply carry more weight than the voices of older residents.

Washoe County’s Cybersecurity Team investigation released Friday, February 21, 2025.