Newly released report shows why Snoqualmie chief got sacked
An external investigation found that former Chief Brian Lynch called women 'bitches,' rated their looks, and made sexual jokes in front of female subordinates and teens.
The City of Snoqualmie was tight-lipped when it fired Police Chief Brian Lynch last month. Official statements vaguely alluded to violations of policy and standards of conduct as well as “discrimination and harassment,” but the city withheld more details, citing confidentiality. Now we know precisely why he was let go.
An external investigation DivestSPD obtained through a public records request documents a pattern of crass misogyny and other misconduct during his tenure.
The report rattles off a bulleted list of corroborated incidents, including:
He “routinely” referred to women as “bitches”
He said that a female officer should not be recruited because she “could not keep her legs together” (referencing the number of kids she had) and he joked that she had a “big vagina”
He joked that a civilian employee hurt her hand jerking off her husband
He would repeatedly rate women’s looks, assigning them a numerical value, and share his ratings with coworkers and subordinates.
He commented frequently on women’s body parts. For example, when a female employee returned from maternity leave, he commented that “body bounced back”
He would spend a long time on his phone while at work looking at “hot babes” and call his subordinates in to check them out.
When a school resource officer said they were excited about a new officer joining the force, expressing to Lynch that they hoped the officer would stay, Lynch said that the SRO should give the officer a “blow job” to welcome them on board.
He referred to a subordinate as “Short Round” (an Asian character in the Indiana Jones movies). Lynch admitted to this but claimed he only meant it to mean his “sidekick”)
He mocked a mobility-impaired subordinate by saying “Run, Forrest, run,” referencing a scene in the film Forrest Gump, where the titular character wears leg braces.
He told a sexual joke in front of a teen girl who was interning at the department.
Aside from the above incidents of sexual harassment, the investigation also found some other violations of policies on fraternizing, favoritism, and general work performance. He allowed officers to attend social events while they were on the clock, including his fantasy football draft party.
The report, compiled by law firm Ogletree Dinkins, would’ve been released earlier this month but Lynch sought an injunction against its release, claiming it would prejudice his pending wrongful termination lawsuit.