SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash — A Spokane Regional Health District employee is speaking out for the first time ahead of a Washington State Board of Health meeting.
The Board will discuss complaints made against Spokane Regional Health District Administrator Amelia Clark.
Clark initially fired Dr. Bob Lutz last Thursday, citing "performance issues."
Union representatives were the only ones speaking out against the Health Board's decision to fire Health Officer Dr. Lutz until recently. Nick CastroLang, an employee with SRHD, spoke to KREM 2 about how Lutz's firing impacted employees, despite fearing retaliation from the organization.
"The way he was removed was definitely a blow to just our energy and ability to keep working going forward," Castrolang, an Opioid Treatment Program employee, said. "It was just kind of another blow to our psyches. We've already had to deal with this pandemic."
CastroLang said Health Board employees saw Lutz as a leader.
"Dr. Lutz was like the Anthony Fauci of Spokane County," he added. "And I think you would see the same thing nationally if Dr. Fauci was removed, too, so it's just a sad day."
The union submitted more than 120 votes of no confidence for Clark, saying they still haven't heard sufficient answers as to why Lutz was fired.
"That was definitely a little disheartening, especially to hear that they were taking the workers into consideration and using us as an excuse, but then not really actually taking us into consideration," CastroLang said. "They don't care about us."
The Board did not reference the vote at its special meeting.
Castrolang and his union joined more than 170 other individuals who filed or cosigned on at least four different complaints against Clark's leadership to the Washington State Board of Health.
The union complaint urges the board to "choose science over politics and investigate Amelia Clark and the Board of Health."
They are hoping for changes in board structure so a controversy like this does not happen again.
"I think there need to be some changes to how the board is run," Castrolang added. "It seems like there's too many political types and not enough science types on the on the board."
The meeting will take place on the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 9. The State Board of Health will be determining if a preliminary investigation into the Spokane Board should take place.