SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The former director of San Diego County's Behavioral Health Services has filed a claim against the county, alleging she was wrongfully terminated before she could raise concerns about systemic failures within the department.
Nadia Privara Brahms was let go in late August after just 8 months on the job. She says the county retaliated against her for planning to address those concerns directly with the Board of Supervisors.
"I'm here today to speak about the unlawful action the county took to terminate my employment," Brahms said.
Sitting alongside her attorney, Brahms read a statement Thursday, about her decision to take the first legal step before filing a lawsuit against the County of San Diego.
"First, I emphasize that I did not condone or tolerate racism, sexism, or harassing behavior, and that my priority is the safety and protection of employees and patients," Brahms said.
When the county announced her departure, it said the decision came as a result of investigations into misconduct, including racism and sexism. Brahms denies participating in either.
She says she was first placed on administrative leave, then given the option to resign. She had worked for the county for 21 years before her termination.
Brahms says she was preparing to speak before the Board of Supervisors about what she had observed when she was removed.
"I was shocked. I believe the CAO's intent was to prevent me from discussing my concerns transparently with the Board of Supervisors during the closed session meeting," Brahms said.
Her attorney, Will Small, says the county moved against her specifically because she intended to speak out.
"Ms. Brahms was adamant about speaking the truth and calling out the county for misprocesses and misconduct. And when she made it clear that she was going to do that, that is when the county suspended her and then very shortly after that terminated her," Small said.
Brahms' termination came on the same day the county released court-ordered records relating to ethics and compliance. The Voice of San Diego filed the public records request to unearth the records. None of those records were against Brahms, and she was not leading the department at that point. She says she never knew the county had been fighting their release.
"The county also smeared my professional reputation that I spent decades building and devastated me emotionally and financially," Brahms said.
The County of San Diego provided ABC 10News the following statement:
"San Diego County takes seriously its responsibility to maintain a workplace that reflects our values and protects public trust. Employment decisions are made in accordance with County policy, applicable law, and the verified information available at the time. We stand behind the integrity of those actions. While we cannot disclose personnel details, we can state that the narrative presented publicly is not consistent with the facts or the County's established processes.
The County takes any allegation of misconduct seriously and recently announced changes as a result of investigations into several cases of misconduct to ensure integrity, equity, and accountability in our work. Employees at all levels must be accountable to those standards, and we appreciate the dedication and service of the County team who support our community members, including some of our most vulnerable residents. The County is taking immediate actions to assess concerns, provide training and drive significant improvements.
Employees, contractors and the public can confidentially report concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the County's Ethics Hotline at 866-549-0004 as well as online at sdcountycagov.sharepoint.com, and to the District Attorney's Office Public Integrity Unit at sandiegocounty.gov."
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