Oregon County Chairwoman Flips Off Colleague During Public Meeting

Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington apologized after being caught on camera flipping off fellow Commissioner Nafisa Fai during a livestreamed meeting Tuesday.

The incident unfolded after Harrington interrupted the meeting to ask Fai to "stop getting in the way of my sight line" of Commissioner Jason Snider. Fai appeared to adjust her chair twice before Harrington pushed her own chair back, slammed her hands on the table, and seemingly made the obscene gesture while other board members looked away, according to footage from the livestream.

Fai then paused the meeting to ask if anyone else had seen Harrington's gesture. None of the board members responded.

Commissioner Pam Treece, also in attendance, called on Harrington to apologize to Fai and county residents. "As leaders, we have to hold ourselves to higher standards for our speech and our actions," Treece said in a statement. "And when we fall short, we need to acknowledge it, take responsibility, and do better in the future."

Treece added that she would work with fellow commissioners to determine further action and would return a recent campaign contribution from Harrington, removing the chair's endorsement from her website. "Commissioner Fai and I are opponents in the race for Washington County Chair, and we don’t always agree. But I strongly believe that disagreement should never prevent us from treating one another with respect," Treece stated.

Harrington issued an apology later Tuesday, calling her actions "unprofessional" and "hurtful." She stated, "My reaction was very plainly not appropriate in any instance."

This is not the first time Harrington has faced scrutiny for her behavior. According to The Oregonian, two former employees reported that even after a 2022 investigation into her treatment of county employees found her conduct was abusive, she continued to misbehave. A report also alleged that Harrington yelled at an employee in March, leaving the staffer in tears. Harrington previously apologized for that incident and stepped back from key duties.