Fired amid scrutiny over her department’s contracts, former Harris County Public Health director Barbie Robinson is planning to take legal action against the county, her lawyer confirmed. In a bold move following her termination, Robinson has raised allegations of racial, gender, and age discrimination, mainly aimed at Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, as per a complaint obtained through a public information request by The Houston Chronicle. Robinson's attorney, Chukwudi "Chuck" Egbuonu, criticized the county’s conduct, calling the termination a retaliatory and defamatory crusade and said that the alleged accusations are “categorically false and a pretext for the County's illegal actions.”
The administration pointed to two significant events as reasons for dismissal—questions around the department's contract with DEMA Consulting & Management and Robinson’s undisclosed consulting contract with Yuba County in California, claims the Community Impact reported, despite Robinson's stance of maintaining a clean performance record throughout her tenure, the complexities of these circumstances have clearly set the stage for a contentious legal battle.
In contrast to Robinson's assertion that her work with Yuba County was approved by previous County Administrator David Berry, Harris County officials maintain there was a breach of trust due to the lack of transparency. Providing more context, Robinson's involvement in the Yuba County contract, which promised her up to $195,000 to advise on mental health care best practices, coincides with significant changes in California’s approach to such care, spurred by the passing of Proposition 1 as indicated by Yuba County’s public information officer, Rachel Abbott.
Harris County's Deputy County Administrator, Leah Barton, has stepped in as interim executive director of health operations while the county launches a national search to replace Robinson, with County Administrator Diana Ramirez noting that during this transitory phase, "Our focus remains on serving the people of Harris County in alignment with our countywide goals and guiding principles," a statement obtained by Community Impact.
