Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain is vigorously defending himself against a scathing Grand Jury report that accuses him of creating a toxic work environment and damaging county government operations. The Grand Jury says they found evidence of intimidation, bullying, and retaliation against anyone who dared object to being treated unfairly. The report also accuses Kain of nepotism, as there are 26 of his family members working for the Sheriff’s Office, including 2 immediate relatives who he hired himself. One of them is a deputy who was involved in a collision last August, and the report says Kain used his influence to downplay the deputy’s fault. Sheriff Kain has had ongoing conflicts with Chief County Administrator Gabriel Hydrick, and the Grand Jury recommends addressing that with a new communication policy. The report’s allegations of misconduct reach back as far as 2002, when Kain was a Tehama County Drug Agent. Sheriff Kain has asked that a judge rescind publication of the report, saying it’s politically motivated and rife with conflicts of interest, largely because much of the evidence was provided by county counsel attorneys who have frequently been at odds with Kain.
-Steve Gibson