La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith has apologized to a Durango Herald reporter after three deputies made disparaging remarks about her in a voicemail.
Smith called reporter Chase Olivarius-McAllister on Thursday to tell her that the behavior of his personnel was inappropriate and that he was taking disciplinary action against them.
On Friday night, Smith said in a prepared statement to the Herald: “I would like to apologize to Miss McAllister, a reporter with The Durango Herald, and the citizens of La Plata County for this unprofessional incident involving inappropriate comments made by members of my staff. I do not condone this type of behavior as it is in direct conflict with the new culture I am trying to develop at the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
“When I first learned of this situation (Thursday) evening, three members of my leadership team and I conducted a conference call with Miss McAllister. I apologized and informed her that the leadership team would take immediate steps to deal with the deputies involved.
“I do not take this type of situation lightly, and I will use this as an opportunity to address all of my staff and reinforce the professional conduct that is expected from members of this agency.”
The sheriff was responding to a voicemail that Deputy Zach Farnam left on Olivarius-McAllister’s phone at the Herald on July 18. Farnam was calling the reporter to provide more details about the scene of a car-bicycle accident.
Olivarius-McAllister discovered the derogatory comments this week when she shared the voicemail with a Herald editor.
In the message, Farnam told Olivarius-McAllister she could return his call, and then it sounds as if he hung up the phone. He did not realize the call was not disconnected. In the background, Farnam can be heard briefly talking to a dog, and then he begins talking to another deputy about Olivarius-McAllister.
Farnam and two other deputies, using expletives, made derogatory statements about her physical appearance and also about people from the United Kingdom, where Olivarius-McAllister grew up.
“She hot?” one deputy said.
“Not hot,” Farnam said. “I mean, she’s got an OK body.”
The deputies’ crude comments continued for a brief time before a fourth person can be heard in the background saying, “I don’t know why you guys are being so hard on her.” The call then ended.
On Thursday, Smith told Olivarius-McAllister that he had identified two of the three of the deputies heard on the voicemail.
“I take Sean Smith’s overtures as good faith. But the culture of this voicemail should not be tolerated and is obviously hostile to women,” Olivarius-McAllister said.
Friday morning, friends of Olivarius-McAllister condemned the remarks on social media. Jezebel, a feminist blog, first published a story. Soon after, several other print and television media reported the story.
Amy Maestas, the Herald’s senior editor, told media outlets Friday that the deputies’ behavior was inexcusable and unprofessional.
“We expect more of our public employees at the sheriff’s office, whose relationship we value to do our jobs. I know that Sheriff Smith understands the enormity of this incident,” she said.
Richard Ballantine, chairman of the Herald’s governing board, added: “These are unfortunate comments from anyone, especially from public employees. The Herald condemns this kind of language. We have confidence in Sheriff Sean Smith taking proper action.”
