Review: No Direct Evidence of Discrimination Found

After a four month long review – The City of Salina Human Relations Commission and the Community Relations Department has determined that no direct evidence of discrimination was found in the hiring of Bronson Farmer as the Health Department Director.

According to Gina McDonald, Director of Community Relations, former Interim Director Suzette Brotton filed the complaint after Farmer was tapped to lead the department in early April of 2014.

McDonald tells KSAL News that the first criteria for a review is looking at the possibility that discrimination could have occurred, “Then we do an investigation plan, ” she said.

McDonald released the findings Friday in a news release that stated:

“The absence of direct evidence of discrimination and the presence of many non-discriminatory factors resulted in the determination that the facts were insufficient to establish reasonable grounds discrimination occurred.”

McDonald added that the months-long process was a thorough review of people familiar with the case, “We ask both the respondents, who are the Saline County Commission as well as the complaintant, Suzette Brotton if they have any witnesses that could give us information,” she said.

“So we interviewed all those people and that’s what took such a long time.”

Longtime Executive Director Yvonne Gibbons retired at the end of 2013, prompting County Commissioners to begin a search for her replacement that culminated with Farmer’s hiring.