Show Us the Public Records
Picon is clearly confused, but that is nothing new.
We received an email forwarded by Commissioner Mike Clark yesterday regarding the decision by the Washoe County “WVC” Workplace Violence Committee to cease hosting PRIDE events at the Washoe County Libraries.
Picon has tried to stay out of anything “library” and have been forced to report a few times but try to leave library topics alone. We support libraries in America. They are the backbone of First Amendment rights, you know that silly thing called Free Speech.
In the email from Washoe County Manager Eric Brown, we see nothing that mentions actual violence against Washoe County library employees, an actual incident, someone being harmed.
We have been asking for records regarding these library protests for two years, and at the same time have been asking for any reports, records, sheriff reports, police reports of violence against employees in the Washoe County Registrar of Voters Office.
The only records we received were police reports made by the protesters.
When requesting public records we have been told there are no records available regarding Washoe County employees being threaten or harmed. Full disclosure, our last public records request was June 15, 2024.
The Washoe County propaganda department seems to have started to spin this decision via the Washoe County Library PIO. Now we have learned there was an “injured library employee.” KTVN Chanel 2 reported, “a small group of protestors injured a library employee.”
The RGJ reports: Brad Bynum, spokesperson for Washoe County libraries, said they received a “strong recommendation” from County Manager Eric Brown’s office on the advice of the Workplace Safety Committee that the library system should suspend the program.
“The reason is because of violence against staffers … perpetrated by a small group of very vocal, very aggressive protesters to come to these events,” Bynum said. “But in no means is it a negative reflection on Our Center or on the programming itself but is instead a reaction to violence and aggressive language.”
Read the email from this ‘super-secret’ Workplace Violence Committee (we can’t find who is on the committee listed on the Washoe County website) and see if you are as confused as we are. If an employee was harmed or injured that should have been part of the written record by County Manager Eric Brown.
Workforce violence is shameful. Now the blame is being directed at a “small group of very vocal, very aggressive protesters.” Who are these people, and have charges been filed? How can Washoe County allow an employee to suffer violence against them and have no substantive records regarding the incident. Show us the public records, police reports, etc.