Report depicts county CEO Nav Gill as a toxic boss. Sacramento supervisors enabled him

For years, former Sacramento County CEO Nav Gill terrorized and ridiculed countless public employees and created a toxic workplace. He also resisted the county’s coronavirus response, considered firing Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye and endangered staff by requiring in-person meetings.

These are just some of the claims against Gill that an outside investigator confirmed as credible. They are detailed in a scathing report released last week. The county hired Kramer Workplace Investigations to examine the allegations eight former and current employees, including Kasirye, levied in a November letter to the Board of Supervisors.

“Many witnesses reported that Gill did not take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, referring to it as a ‘shamdemic,’” investigator Karen Kramer wrote. Gill was placed on paid leave in November and retired in February after 14 years with the county.

Kramer’s report corroborated allegations that Gill used “racially derogatory language.” It also said numerous people witnessed his temper and ego. He disrespected and marginalized former assistant CEO Nancy Newton until she left in March 2020. He delayed raises for employees who disagreed with him, or reassigned them and even froze hiring to deny them promotions.

Gill “likely lacked the self-awareness to understand how his words and tone were perceived by others,” Kramer wrote. “He denied engaging in almost all of the unprofessional, inappropriate and toxic behavior attributed to him. Yet, near the end of his interview, Gill’s focus was less on whether the specific incidents occurred and more about him not engaging in any conduct ‘with malice.’”

The claims against Gill — revealed in 45 interviews over four months — are unsettling. Unfortunately, they are not surprising. Millions of people face abusive supervisors and bullies at work. A 2018 international study concluded that toxic workplaces increase employee burnout and compromise an organization’s productivity. For a county government entrusted with a $3 billion budget and 11,000 employees, this poor leadership harms the Sacramento community.

We should commend the county employees who finally spoke out. But now a larger question looms: Why was Gill allowed to stay in power this long?

“While Gill’s actions may have been known for years, the public complaints against him did not surface until early last year,” The Bee’s Michael Finch II reported. “As the county grappled with the ever-expanding demands of the coronavirus pandemic, employees in the public health division of the county’s Department of Health Services complained that they were being mistreated and retaliated against.”

Gill’s antics were well-known prior to his promotion to CEO in 2016, Kramer said. Much of the blame falls on Gill’s bosses on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Despite his reputation, they authorized an open-ended contract that required four of five supervisors to vote to fire him. With such a high bar for accountability, the best they could muster was a 3-2 vote to put him on paid leave.

Supervisor Patrick Kennedy deserves much of the blame. As board chair in 2019, Kennedy sided with supervisors Susan Peters and Sue Frost — strong supporters of Gill — and approved a contract that was negotiated while Phil Serna, Gill’s chief critic on the board, was absent. Kennedy conveniently joined Serna last year as the only two board members to call for Gill’s removal, yet it was his support for Gill’s contract that kept him in power.

“Records show he left his position with a payout of about $209,000, mostly from unused vacation,” Finch reported.

Acting county CEO Ann Edwards must confront the legacy of Gill’s awful leadership and ensure the abuses that took place under Gill never happen again. Edwards must change the culture, and empower employees to speak out without fearing retaliation.

Since Gill was placed on leave, many in the CEO’s office “reported sleeping better and being less anxious,” Kramer wrote. It’s become a “kinder, more humane” place.

Sacramento County faces many critical issues, including the ongoing pandemic response, homelessness, climate action, equity initiatives and redistricting. Edwards should also prioritize restoring the public’s faith in her office.