Feb. 7—An independent investigation into the Bellingham Municipal Court's working conditions found little to no violations of law or policy.
The investigation, conducted by Sarah L. Wixson of Stokes Lawrence, issued its 31-page report on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Wixson's investigation looked into allegations by court employees of a hostile work environment, retaliation, discrimination based upon age and religion and violations of wage, hour and medical privacy laws by Presiding Judge Debra Lev, Court Administrator Darlene Peterson, Deputy Court Administrator Tami Bennett and Jail Alternative Program Manager Kathy Smith.
Wixson issued 22 findings, all except two were found to not be a violation of law or policy.
In a statement posted to the municipal court's website Friday, Feb. 4, Lev said she has been honored to serve the community as an elected judge for the past 20 years. She said it was her duty to "follow the rule of law and long-standing constitutional principles, including the separation of powers doctrine which recognizes three co-equal independent branches of government."
Lev ran unopposed and was elected for another four-year term as the city's only Municipal Court judge in 2021.
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