Discontent has taken root within the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, with staff offering divided opinions on the agency's diversity and inclusivity initiatives, a recently released office survey reveals as reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The survey, part of an ongoing effort to promote equity, shows stark contrasts in confidence levels towards management's handling of complaints on discrimination and safety, splits that are noticeably aligned along gender and supervisory lines.
According to the office survey—released after a public records request by The Oregonian/OregonLive—white male supervisors reported high confidence in the resolution of reported issues, with 100% believing appropriate action would be taken if they felt unsafe, compared to a lesser 51% among their white female counterparts. A similar disparity was found concerning their views on the office's progression towards equity, with 88% of white male supervisors seeing advancement versus 51% for women; Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt acknowledged the mixed feedback, stating he's committed to creating "a diverse and equitable workplace" yet conceding that the office must continue efforts "so that everyone feels that this is an office where they can thrive."
Complementary to the concerns raised is a parallel report highlighted by AOL News, noting how the internal poll signifies declining morale; multiple staff members reported a decrease in confidence when reporting discriminatory behavior or feeling unsafe, and an increase in work's negative impact on their mental health, calling for an expansion of the staff dedicated to equity work, though the office had previously hired an equity manager, Ari Alberg, who served for just over a year.
The need for more resources dedicated to equity is further corroborated by a report from Willamette Week, which confirms the current dissatisfaction among employees; these findings closely mirror a previous set of survey questions asked back in January 2023. The report outlines the prevailing sentiment amongst staff—that despite the appointment of an equity manager late in 2022, his tenure was short-lived due to his November departure, and the office is set to announce his successor later this week—a move, which is possibly an initiative to quell rising internal turmoil.
