County employee receives letter of reprimand for Miller comments; apologizes

In response to critical online comments made about Supervisor Ally Miller, county communications specialist Jason Ground received a letter of reprimand and apologized to the supervisor Wednesday.

In a series of July 28 posts in a private Facebook group, one of which contained an expletive directed at Miller, Ground encouraged people to criticize the supervisor’s position on a since-approved ban on fee-based sexual orientation conversion therapy for minors during a hearing on the matter Tuesday. Miller and Supervisor Steve Christy were the two votes against the resolution.

At the behest of County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, a letter of reprimand — intended to memorialize a discussion earlier in the day regarding Ground’s “wrongful use of county resources” — was subsequently drafted and sent to Ground.

This came after the Star was told that no records of disciplinary action yet existed and that details of Ground’s discipline would not be provided.

“As we discussed, the Communications Office provides an important public service for the County and our work receives a high level of scrutiny,” the letter, which was written by communications manager Mark Evans and provided to the Star in response to a records request, reads. “It is vital we conduct ourselves professionally and treat all county employees and elected officials with respect.”

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“Your action has not only been an embarrassment for yourself but for this office and for the county,” the letter continues, before warning Ground that similar or additional violations of county policy “will result in further discipline, including dismissal from county employment.”

Ground also apologized to Miller for his criticism and use of profanity in a Wednesday afternoon email.

“It will not happen again,” the email concludes.

While Miller did not provide comment on the matter to the Star, Christy sent a letter to Huckelberry on Thursday describing the comments as “deplorable, reprehensible and egregious.” He also appeared to advocate for additional disciplinary measures, writing that Ground should be “subject to every facet of the county’s disciplinary process.”