Oregon state officials released records today WW This sheds some light on the abrupt suspension of the Oregon Department of Forestry's second-ranking official, Deputy State Forester Mike Shaw.

WW It was first reported in August that the agency had placed Shaw on leave at the height of the largest wildfire season in Oregon history. The Forestry Department takes the lead on fires, and its budget has been overwhelmed by large and prolonged fires.

WW filed a public records request requesting emails related to the matter. The emails released today by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services shed little light on Shaw's problem.

On August 6, Shaw's boss, Cal Mukumoto, the state forester, sent DAS Director Berri Leslie an email with the subject line “ODF sensitive issue.”

That same day, Mukumoto sent Shaw a letter informing him that he was “stationed at home on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into alleged misconduct.” While on leave, Shaw is cut off from government facilities and equipment.

The alleged misconduct is not detailed in Mukumoto's letter, but DAS included other emails that show a series of emails from a former female Department of Forestry diversity, equity and inclusion official expressing her frustration over it revealed that Shaw had left her out of what the agency calls its “executive team.” Meet.

The official, whose name DAS redacted, sent her one of Shaw's emails to other agency employees. In the email, Shaw told the employee that the leadership team was “refocusing on financial responsibility, prioritizing core business, and most importantly, recognizing the integrity of a managerial leadership meeting.”

The woman responded in a Feb. 21 email. “Isn’t DEI part of ODF’s core business?” She wrote to Shaw and other senior ODF officials. “Isn’t the goal to build it into the fundamentals? As I understand it, my job is to help operationalize DEI in ODF. I can’t do that if I’m not actively in the space where conversations happen, decisions are made, and connections are made.”

Instead of addressing the substance of the DEI official's concerns, acting ODF Human Resources Director Wendy Heckman chastised the woman for the tone of her email. “I am dismayed by the disrespect and unprofessionalism expressed in your response,” Heckman wrote.

On October 10th The Oregonian reported a story on ODF that appears to be related. In that story, reporter Noelle Crombie wrote: “The state has received about a dozen complaints against leaders of the Oregon Department of Forestry This year, some employees allege a misogynistic culture, lack of diversity and fear of retaliation.”

In a March 5 email to a Department of Human Services HR official, the DEI official expressed concern that her concern and the concerns raised by others were being swept under the rug.

“What I fear at this point is that THE/Governor's Office will talk to Cal (Mukumoto) and/or the Cabinet, they will reiterate that this was a disproportionate emotional response and they are committed to DEI and that .” will be the end of the conversation,” she wrote.

Forestry Department spokeswoman Joy Krawczyk declined to comment. Shaw did not respond to a request for comment.