Leslie Herod’s reputation as one of the worst bosses at the state Capitol where she’s bullied, belittled, and treated her employees like servants is catching up to her campaign to become mayor of Denver.
Former employees of the Democrat state representative say she has verbally harassed them and created a toxic work environment, Axios Denver reports.
After things went sideways with a couple of workers, a Latino advocacy organization stopped assigning interns to her office.
Herod reportedly didn’t see anything wrong with sending staffers to fetch her coffee and meals, because Herod says she performed the same tasks when she was an aide.
Herod’s supporters however insist she’s a great human being, just a tough woman, and because she checks so many boxes, only haters would dare criticize her.
From Axios Denver:
“I think she is a great leader and has moved the ball forward on a lot of big topics,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat and friend of Herod.
“When you are a Black woman who is strong and passionate and direct, there is the racist trope of the angry Black woman, and I think that is being used against her,” state Sen. Faith Winter, who endorsed Herod in the mayoral race, told us.
In other words, legislative staffers should expect to be treated like crap and they should shut up about it or Democrat lawmakers will call them out as racists.
Denverite is also reporting on the allegations against Herod, including her treatment of Kaylee Browning, a disabled employee with hearing issues.
Browning says she was mocked by Herod at times when she was unable to hear what the lawmaker was saying in noisy areas of the Capitol.
She described her work with Herod as less policy and politics and more waiting on Herod. Aides were constantly getting food and coffee and flowers, fronting the costs at times. Occasionally they didn’t get paid back for days or weeks.
Ouch.
Herod denied that she mocked anyone with disabilities, recalling her mom hosted people with disabilities in their home when Herod was in high school — also known as the “some of my best friends are disabled” defense.
And to Denverite, Herod’s supporters played the rest of the identify cards.
Herod is a gay Black woman with power, on the cutting edge of progressive policy in Colorado. And many of her allies say that makes her a convenient target of criticism.
Again, all those underpaid, overworked, and abused staffers are just haters, according to Herod’s progressive colleagues in Colorado’s legislature.
Denver voters should most definitely check out these reports on Herod’s reputation before deciding if she should be elected the boss of all Denver and it’s 11,000 employees.
Why I will NOT be voting for a lesbian Black woman running for mayor of Denver.
I’ve been lucky to hire four former staff, interns, and volunteers of hers. They were excellent staff who had so much trauma from working with her.
Denver has 11,000 employees who deserve better. pic.twitter.com/cNr8rI2aNv
— Sheena Anne Kadi (@Sheena_Kadi) February 21, 2023