Commissioner Trieger responds to public comment, accuses man of sexual harassment

Presenter: A Lane County commissioner responds to public comment by accusing the speaker of sexual harassment 30 years ago. On April 7, Ruben Garcia: 

Ruben Garcia: Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you for your time. I’m Ruben Garcia. I’m a retired businessman. So I just wanted to talk to you about a few things.

One is reputation, legacy, and behavior. So first of all, I think my comment is mostly addressed to Heather and Laurie and Pat. Especially Pat, you know, you’ve contributed so much to this community and you have a wonderful reputation.

But I think the CleanLane and also the 30% increase that you guys voted in a couple years ago was, I just found out about it, like, four months ago, and I was shocked.

I got, I mean, in this community, in Lane County, people are lucky. They get a 4% or 5% increase, but you voted in a 30% increase. That was, that was nuts. Regardless to CleanLane. Once the public kind of snips out the high rates, they’re, they’re going to be paying for trash removal and also the taxes and fees. They’re going to be knocking at your door big time.

So I hope you can work a miracle and, and reverse this. Don’t wait for any changes in the county commissioners and just work. Turn it around, make a miracle. Change it because people are not gonna be happy about with high fees and taxes. And then in regards to behavior, Laurie, I’m a little late on this, just like I know that the ship left the harbor already with the, with CleanLane, etc.

But I was out here, Lori, you know, several weeks ago, and I just went to greet you just to say hello. And you know, typically sometimes we just touch people on the side of the shoulder and that’s all he did. And, but you just blew up at me. You just started screaming at me. Don’t you touch me. Don’t you ever touch me And like.

What the, and I backed up and I just, I put a hand out and then you just, you just angrily shook my hand. I, what did I do to deserve that, Lori? I mean, that’s, that was, I was out in the lobby here. There was people here. It was embarrassing and I don’t, can’t think of anything that I did to deserve that kind of behavior.

You should never treat someone in the public like that, especially. Uh, I’m in Pat’s, uh, district, so, which doesn’t matter, but, so I just hope you kind of think through that and just kind of, uh, let me know why, you know, and maybe an apology. Go ahead, say something. 

Commissioner Ryan Ceniga: There’s no interaction between us from the dais. 

Ruben Garcia: She started to talk, so, but yeah, you owe me an apology. I just don’t understand why. I didn’t deserve that. That was crazy.

Spend more time with Heather. She’s a sweet, wonderful lady. I always get a good hug from her. Maybe she could—you can learn something from Heather.

Presenter: Later in the meeting, Commissioner Laurie Trieger:

Commissioner Laurie Trieger: Excuse me. Point of order, Chair. 

Commissioner Ryan Ceniga: Yes, go ahead. 

Commissioner Laurie Trieger: Could I have the floor for a moment? I know it’s a bit out of order, but I would like to respond to public comment. We used to have county commissioner remonstrance at the top of the meeting, so the people that make comment can hear if we have something to say. And I wonder if you might indulge me in making a statement in response to a particular commenter this morning. 

Commissioner Ryan Ceniga: Yes. 

Commissioner Laurie Trieger: Thank you so much, Chair. I appreciate that.

Mr. Garcia, and, and forgive me in advance if I cannot contain my emotions.

I have held in for 30 years the fact that you sexually harassed me when I worked for your company. People in this organization have heard me talk about cleaning office buildings at night, waiting tables, working in a number of different low-wage jobs when my family was young and we struggled.

And you were one of those employers. You were one of those employers, sir. And I have never stated publicly that particular fact that I experienced.

And when you came up to me, presuming it was okay to hug me, and I stood back and said, ‘You do not have permission to touch me,’ and that offended you. That is what happened out in the lobby. It was not as dramatic as you portrayed at the podium. There were several people who saw our interactions, sir. 

You can leave because you can’t stand to hear this. That’s fine. But other people deserve to hear. Other people deserve to hear, sir, if you are going to come and put on the record comments about an interaction we had that were factually untrue, in a lobby full of people who saw it, that’s not going to stand.

For men to come before this body and speak to the two women here as if they have a right to expect women to smile and demur and allow them to touch them or hug them or approach them in whatever way the man chooses and that he’s embarrassed if we don’t let him, is a problem.

The fact that Commissioner Buch and I are only the sixth and seventh woman respectively to ever have served on this body—in a county established in 1851—tells you something about what this community is prepared to see as leadership and respect as leadership. 

I would never have made a statement like this and called someone out by name, but I cannot let Mr. Garcia’s comments stand without a response. It was undignified for him to do so. And I hold my dignity and integrity unapologetically. 

When I sit at this dais, we hear all kinds of things, every single one of us from people who come to that podium. I am not responding today for myself personally. I’m responding today for every woman in this organization and in this community who has had to put up with the kind of behavior.

That I have had to put up with not only 30 years ago as a low-wage employee, but as a elected official who dared as an elected official woman to reject the presumption that I should be hugged by a man when I didn’t want to be. For him to come and give public comment that that is a problem, is a problem, and I could not let that stand without comment.

I have so much more to say, but I will leave it there. I’m grateful to you, Chair, for allowing me this opportunity to speak, and I’m sorry, Commissioner Buch, that he dragged you into that and tried to pit us against one another as if you are the good woman for being nice and smiling, and I am the evil woman for not allowing him to touch me when I did not want to be touched.

That cannot stand. Thank you, Chair. 

Presenter: During the April 7 meeting, Lane County Commissioner Laurie Trieger accuses a former employer of sexual harassment.