No. 2 prosecutor put on paid leave

Kootenai County’s No. 2 prosecutor is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed female colleagues, Prosecutor Bill Douglas said Monday.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Rick Baughman allegedly harassed two women who recently resigned from the Kootenai County prosecutor’s office, according to multiple sources.

Douglas said he thought it was appropriate to place Baughman on paid leave while allegations of misconduct are being investigated.

“There should be no judgment made because of that action,” he said.

The reports of sexual harassment will be investigated by an independent party, Douglas said. He declined to release the names of those being considered to head the investigation, but Douglas said it will be a professional “who knows the issues” and is from outside the county.

“I just want it to be completely fair,” he said.

The investigator will be asked to make recommendations based on the outcome of the investigation, Douglas said.

Then “I can make some better decisions,” he added.

“It’s difficult for me right now not knowing the full basis of allegations that were made,” he said. “A lot of the allegations came from, basically, a lot of what is being attributed to the two former employees by unnamed sources. That’s very difficult for me.”

Sources told The Spokesman-Review that a female employee told the county’s human resources department in her exit interview about alleged harassment by Baughman, who is married with children. She reportedly said Baughman, 45, pursued dates and made lewd comments.

Another former employee expressed concerns about alleged inappropriate touching by Baughman and comments he allegedly made about the size of his genitals, sources said.

That woman reportedly has retained an attorney.

Neither woman would agree to an interview, and Baughman has declined to comment.

Baughman previously was accused of sexual harassment. Former legal secretary Carol Fowler filed a tort claim against the county in 1994, alleging Baughman sexually harassed her.

Fowler alleged Douglas fired her after she complained about Baughman’s conduct. She received a $7,500 settlement as part of an agreement, which Douglas and Fowler said prohibits them from speaking about those allegations.

Douglas said he spoke with his employees Monday about the allegations and asked his staff to cooperate with the investigation.

“I want any comments or answers to any questions that the investigators have of them to be completely unvarnished,” Douglas said.

An interim chief deputy prosecutor may be named soon, Douglas said. The prosecutor said he’ll likely assume some of Baughman’s duties in the meantime, which include court appearances and screening cases for prosecution.

Kootenai County commissioners referred requests for comment to Erika Grubbs, head of the county’s legal services department and human resources.

“An outside investigation has been authorized, and we’re moving ahead with that,” Grubbs said. “We’re just trying to get accurate information to see if we have a problem. Only then can we figure out what to do about it. Our goal is to treat everyone as fairly as possible.”