Sidhu apologizes for providing reference for manager who quit amid harassment allegations

Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu agrees with critics that he shouldn’t have given a job reference to Jon Hutchings, the former director of the Public Works Department who resigned in October 2022 amid sexual harassment allegations, according to an email sent Monday to the Whatcom County Council and all county employees.

Sidhu’s support helped Hutchings get a job as director of the Lynden Public Works Department several months later.

“Over the past week I have had many meaningful and difficult conversations with colleagues, friends, and family members, which allowed me to reflect on the letter of introduction which I signed several months after Hutchings’ resignation. Today I want to recognize that signing the letter was inappropriate and misguided,” Sidhu said in the email, which was provided to The Bellingham Herald.

“It clearly was an error of judgment not to contemplate its broader meaning and impact for employees, the organization and the community. I’ve learned a valuable lesson that you must put aside past service when an employee fails to adhere to basic norms of conduct at the workplace. Realizing the sensitivity of such matters, I should have sought wider consultation within my office. I take full responsibility for this and apologize to all who were affected directly and indirectly,” Sidhu said.

Leaders of the Whatcom County Democratic Party asked Sidhu to resign, a demand that Sidhu rejected last week in a statement to The Herald. Sidhu received Democratic Party support for his election in 2019 and re-election in 2023.

Sidhu’s letter came ahead of a special County Council meeting scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Tuesday that was expected to focus on the harassment allegations against Hutchings and Sidhu’s handling of the situation.

The incident came to light in an April 19 investigative report by the nonprofit newsroom Cascade PBS. In addition, an unnamed Whatcom County employee was paid $225,000 to settle her harassment claim, according to the report.

Neither issue came before the County Council, according to a discussion during the council’s April 23 meeting.

A copy of the findings of an independent investigation — with the names of Hutchings’ accusers redacted — is attached to the agenda of Tuesday’s special County Council meeting.

Much of the information contained in that investigation mirrors the claims contained in the April 19 Cascade PBS report.