It was very sad to read about the Clerk of Courts Office in Carbon County and the mess it has become over the years. So many people were/are affected by this disaster. Hearing from our elected officials that their hands “were tied,” and there is nothing they can do makes it even sadder.

Not sharing this alarming news with the public over the years has caused people to cast a vote for someone who was no longer suited for the office. Not to mention those in the court system who have been unable to pay their dues and move on with their life.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is the 20 employees who had to go home to their family each night after a long day in a hostile work environment. Not knowing each day if they would be harassed, bullied or fired or would it become so out of hand someone would end up assaulted.

Hostile work environments and ongoing stress can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including: mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders; cardiovascular disease, including heart disease; high blood pressure; abnormal heart rhythms; heart attacks; stroke, autoimmune diseases; and post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few.

In 1992, three Democrats and three Republicans joined forces to start the impeachment process on an elected official in a Carbon County court office. Why would someone not move to start the impeachment process? Were we smarter in 1992 than we are in 2018?

Where was the Human Resource Department? Were the 20 employees who were required to work in this hostile work environment given exit interviews? Even though these employees were “hand-picked” by the elected official, they are still paid by the county and need to be treated with respect, and basic employment laws need to be followed or you open up many cans of liability.

Ignoring a horrendous situation is a major liability to the county. There is always something that could and should be done! It also appears to me that no one really has any idea how to evaluate the actual financial damage. I am hopeful the commissioners will move to have a forensic audit performed in this department.

“Living is easy with eyes closed.” — John Lennon

Cindy Henning

Albrightsville