SAN ANTONIO — After human resources records released Monday revealed a conflict between ex-Metro Health director Dawn Emerick and her immediate supervisor, assistant city manager Colleen Bridger, records obtained Wednesday by KENS 5's Eyewitness Wants to Know team revealed this isn't the first time Emerick had issues with her supervisor that rose to the level of a complaint to human resources.
Prior to assuming her role as San Antonio's top health official in January, Emerick had worked as the Health Department Director in Benton County, Oregon; before that, she served as the Public Health Director in Clackamas County, Oregon.
Records provided by Clackamas County on Wednesday showed Emerick had complained about her supervisor, Health, Housing, and Human Services Director Rich Swift, who it appears later assumed Emerick's role when she resigned in March 2019.
In a Dec. 13, 2018 e-mail, Emerick listed concerns including that Swift took credit for the work of others, operated under a culture of intimidation and dysfunction, misrepresented Emerick's words to a colleague, circumvented her leadership and displayed animosity toward her. Emerick drew up a 19-point list, outlining her concerns with Swift and the department as a whole. Records show nearly a month later, she tendered her resignation.
Emerick went on to accept a job in Benton County, Oregon as the director of their health department. Though, despite her resignation, emails show the investigation into Swift continued.
In an April 2019 email from a human resources employee in Clackamas County to Emerick, the employee asked Emerick to review a summary and informed Emerick they would be the ones to finish the investigation and recommend any action.
Emerick noted she was busy with her new job, writing "I am sooooo much happier now that I am gone from his department and his thumb that I am ok with just leaving this alone at this point." Emerick also responded with concern that the investigation was handled internally, writing the decision implied "there is not enough concern to ask for outside counsel."
The employee elaborated that the choice to contract out is often contingent upon workload, among other factors—not the severity or merit of the concerns. The human resources employee sent several follow up emails to Emerick to ask whether Emerick wished to withdraw her complaint, to which Emerick, it appears, did not respond.
KENS 5 reached out to Swift for comment via email and has not yet heard back.
Emerick's LinkedIn profile states she was the Health Department Director in Benton County for less than a year before assuming the role of San Antonio's Metro Health Director.
Emerick resigned from her post as the city's top health official June 25 after less than six months on the job. Days before, she had lodged a complaint against Bridger, calling for a third-party mediator to intervene in their "mutually fractured, broken and unproductive" relationship, records revealed.
On June 24, Bridger, in a several paged letter to city manager Erik Walsh, city attorney Andy Segovia and members of the city's human resources department, wrote: "I realized nobody had the full picture of the extent to which Dawn is routinely insubordinate nor the extent to which she is rude and demeaning with her staff." Bridger provided those on the email with five months of documentation, adding "I have emails to back up a lot of this and am happy to share, but that would have taken a lot more time and I'm not sure what the disciplinary action will be..."
Bridger listed examples ranging from allegations Emerick lacked "basic understanding of epidemiology/public health science," to "rude, condescending behavior with staff and partners."
City Manager Erik Walsh released the following statement on Monday regarding the human resources complaints:
"Dr. Emerick’s departure was clearly in the best interest of all parties. We are grateful for her efforts while she was here.
Dr. Bridger has implemented significant and overdue improvements in her three weeks since taking over as director of Metro Health. We are fortunate that she has committed to seeing through the response to this public health crisis."
KENS 5 has reached out to Emerick for comment several times since her departure but has not received a response. Emerick did tweet a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying she is "looking forward to my next chapter in improving the well-being of communities and organizations."
Benton County officials said she was never party to any human resources complaints while serving as the health department director.