A Portland City Hall staffer says she was fired after filing a sexual harassment complaint and is now threatening to sue Councilor Candace Avalos, turning up the heat on an office already under legal and ethics scrutiny. The allegation, first reported July 27, 2026, lands in the middle of a tense season at City Hall as council members clash over budgets, staffing and internal power dynamics.
Aide Says Complaint Cost Her Job
According to reporting by OPB, the staffer alleges Avalos fired her in retaliation after she reported sexual harassment and has threatened legal action in response. OPB notes that, at the time of its story, the claim was still an allegation and there was no lawsuit on file, framing the dispute as the employee’s account rather than a pending court case.
Nonprofit Lawsuit Still Looms
Earlier this summer, The Oregonian reported that Avalos was also named in a separate $999,000 lawsuit tied to her previous role as executive director of the environmental justice nonprofit Verde. That Multnomah County complaint, filed by a former Verde employee, alleged unlawful termination and discrimination, according to the June 27, 2026 coverage.
Mic Cutoff, Ethics Questions Add Pressure
The latest allegation surfaces after an already rocky stretch for the council. A July 23 council meeting devolved into a heated back-and-forth that included a moment when Avalos appeared to reach over and shut off a colleague’s microphone, an exchange captured by KPTV. At the same time, meeting materials from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission show investigators reviewed complaints and questions related to a council retreat involving Avalos and other members earlier this year, adding an institutional layer to the scrutiny around her office.
What Legal Moves Are On The Table
Guidance from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries explains that workers are protected from retaliation when they report harassment and can seek relief through administrative complaints or civil lawsuits. Those processes often involve an initial review by an agency before or alongside any court filing, and potential remedies can include reinstatement, back pay and monetary damages, depending on what investigators or a judge ultimately find.
The staffer’s threat to sue puts new focus on how personnel decisions are handled inside Avalos’s office and how the city responds. The next key marker will be whether a formal complaint lands in a public docket and what it alleges in detail. This story will be updated as records, filings or official statements become available.
