Ten current or former Grand County employees and officials filed a legal Notice of Claim on Sept. 15 alleging systemic harassment, discrimination and retaliation against women in county government.
The claim, submitted by former county attorney Christina Sloan, marks the first step toward a potential lawsuit under Utah’s Governmental Immunity Act. It comes two weeks after Commissioner Mary McGann alleged during a Sept. 2 meeting that Grand County had become a “hostile, toxic work environment” for women, saying at least eight had resigned as a result. She later said her concerns included Commission Chair Bill Winfield and Commissioner Brian Martinez.
The filing names Winfield and Martinez as elected officials accused of creating or contributing to a hostile work environment through inappropriate conduct, abuse of authority and retaliatory behavior. It also alleges that the county’s commission administrator and human resources director failed to act on complaints submitted over more than 15 months, leaving women without protection.
The notice is signed by Commissioners Mary McGann and Trish Hedin, former Personnel Services Director Renee Baker, current building department Permit Technician Lisa Ceniceros, former Canyonlands Regional Airport Director Tammy Howland, former Assistant Airport Director Tara Collins, current Civil Paralegal Cristin Hofhine, former planner Machael Layton, former Commission Administrator Mallory Nassau and current Responsible Recreation Coordinator Anna Sprout.
In an email to The Times-Independent, Sloan said the 10 women represent many more who chose not to come forward out of fear of harassment or losing their jobs.
“County leadership has failed all of these women, and our entire community is suffering as a result,” Sloan said.
(The Times-Independent) Attorney Christina Sloan filed the Sept. 15 Notice of Claim on behalf of 10 current and former Grand County employees and officials.
County Commission Administrator Mark Tyner and Personnel Services Director Tess Barger did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Winfield told The Times-Independent he “categorically [denies] these allegations.”
“I am confident that a full and fair investigation will confirm the truth, and I will vigorously defend myself if a lawsuit is filed,” Winfield said.
Martinez told The Times-Independent, “There is no truth in the allegations made against me.”
County spokesperson Melisa Jeffers provided a statement similar to one she released on Sept. 7 after McGann’s remarks, noting that the county had engaged an independent third party to investigate. She said the county is “ensuring that the allegations are reviewed thoroughly and impartially. Our focus is on fact-finding, constructive action, and sharing updates as transparently as possible with the community.”
The document details 19 categories of alleged misconduct, including sexual harassment, retaliation and misuse of authority. Examples include staring at women’s bodies during meetings, asking about pregnancy plans, pressuring spouses to “control” their wives, punishing women for how they spoke to commissioners and undermining hiring and departmental funding decisions. The claim also says county leadership leaked information from closed sessions and improperly accessed personnel files. It further alleges that women were targeted through false complaints, removed from boards or silenced during meetings as part of a broader pattern of retaliation.
According to the filing, employees and outside agency partners raised complaints repeatedly but were either ignored or told that nothing could be done because the alleged offenders were elected officials. Sloan wrote that “not one single action” was taken despite more than a year of concerns.
The notice says the hostile environment has forced some women to resign or be removed from their positions, while others now suffer health problems including anxiety, depression, migraines and insomnia. Sloan wrote that the damage has left some women feeling dread over coming to work and feeling excluded from county government.
The claim asks for a public apology, workplace reform, mandatory training and public censure of Winfield, Martinez and any other involved officials. It also notes that some women may seek damages for lost wages or emotional distress.
(The Times-Independent) Grand County Commissioner Brian Martinez, pictured at a commission meeting earlier this year, is named in a Sept. 15 Notice of Claim alleging harassment and retaliation.
Sloan wrote in the filing that she also gathered accounts from 10 additional women — staff, officials, volunteers and contractors — who reported similar treatment but declined to sign out of fear of retaliation. The claim characterizes the alleged conduct as not only unethical but illegal.
The Notice of Claim was filed alongside discrimination complaints with the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division. County Attorney Stephen Stocks was not copied due to what Sloan described as a conflict of interest, since he supervises Hofhine and may be implicated in the investigation. She requested that he recuse himself.
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.
Note to readers: This story has been updated to include a statement from Commission Chair Bill Winfield and to clarify the full titles of Mark Tyner and Tess Barger.
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