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56
Boss Put On Leave For Allegedly Prioritizing Candidates’ Qualifications Over Gender Identity
A controversy over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has surfaced within the Oregon Department of Forestry, after an official was placed on administrative leave for his hiring choices.
Megan Donecker, the former DEI strategy officer within the department, had filed a formal complaint against her boss Mike Shaw.
She accused him of looking beyond gender and identity while hiring and choosing candidates that were most qualified for the job.
Highlights
- Mike Shaw was placed on administrative leave for allegedly favoring qualifications over gender identity while hiring.
- Megan Donecker, a DEI expert, filed a formal complaint about him while working with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
- “It is bad for women at Forestry,” she said. “It is even worse if you are queer.”
- She said six queer employees did not feel safe or comfortable being out at their workplace.
“It is bad for women at Forestry,” Megan told Oregon Live. “It is even worse if you are queer.”
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Megan Donecker claimed her boss Mike Shaw favored qualifications over gender and identity during the hiring process
Image credits: Megan Donecker
Mike was placed on administrative leave on August 6 after the DEI expert filed the formal complaint. Until then, he was the department’s second-in-command under State Forester Cal Mukumoto.
Megan, who has since left the department, argued that her bosses undermined her diversity and inclusion efforts while she was there. She also said Mike wanted to take a slow approach to implementing their DEI initiatives.
“We don’t go 60 (mph) out of the gate or we’re gonna crash the car,” she quoted Mike telling her during a meeting in March.
She also compared the department’s overall culture to a “boy’s club” and said six of the queer employees didn’t feel “safe or comfortable being out,” let alone talking about their partners at work.
Mike used to be the second-in-command at the department until he was placed on administrative leave on August 6
Image credits: Oregon Forest Resources Institute
“I cannot emphasize enough how far back this is going to set myself and the work that I am trying to do,” she said in her complaint.
While speaking to Oregon Live, the Salem resident mentioned a remark made by the department’s first-in-command Cal during a meeting last year.
Cal said one of the female employees “puts in a really good lunch order and then kind of chuckled, and everyone kind of chuckled,” Megan recalled.
“No one batted an eye,” she added.
Megan quit her job in March after the fallout with her bosses and now works as an equity trainer and education coordinator at the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care. She is also a mother to her adopted nine-year-old child, whom she is raising with her wife Jai.
The internet had mixed reactions to the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) controversy
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What do you think ?
Ace 1 year ago
Seems like the real reason for the complaints against him was that she was not being invited to leadership meetings so was being excluded from policy-making discussions - this headline about hiring practices is a bit of a smokescreen.
Sand Ers 1 year ago
Excluded from meetings discussing policies that she was specifically hired to address and be involved with. It looks very much like the top banana should be put on a time out just like the second banana. IMG_2278-6...c-jpeg.jpg 
Marno C. 1 year ago
This article is written in a very inflammatory way. The use of quotation marks around contentious phrases and allegations would help. Otherwise, it implies that the writer is presenting them as verified facts. The party introducing those allegations must also be clearly identified and context given and fact-checked. If BP is going to attempt news-ish articles, they should also strive for other journalistic standards such as a neutral tone.
Al Ban 1 year ago
Binitha transform blank docs into news stories that demand clicks and shares (her bio on the website). So she doesn't really care about the stories, just the click, none of her stories are there to inform you, they are there for the click
Load More Replies...
Erik Biesemeier 1 year ago
This is just red meat bs for the people complaining everything is "woke". As others have posted actual journalism regarding this story, I'll just say this is clickbait trash.
Stacy Varn 1 year ago
Wait... just making sure I understand, he got suspended for hiring people who were qualified to do the job rather than hiring to diversify the group of people for representation purposes?
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
No, if you read the backstory the whole thing about hiring practices is a red herring, nothing to do with why he is suspended. https://www.wweek.com/news/2024/10/10/state-provides-more-information-about-suspension-of-deputy-director-at-department-of-forestry/
Load More Replies...
Sand Ers 1 year ago (edited)
BP linked to a paywalled story from “Oregon Live”, but all the twitter comments are directed to nypost. And if there’s one thing certain about nypost, it’s that they distort stories and fabricate shít to advance the magat agenda. Magats pretend that DEI programs don’t care about qualifications. The truth is that they are attempts to find qualified people from traditionally marginalized groups, instead of default hiring the nearest white male warm body.
Aline 1 year ago
Without knowing anything about the candidates, it's impossible to tell who is right/wrong. Just because you're the best candidate on paper, doesn't mean you're the one for the job. If the companies policy was to weigh other things more than degrees, not just gender but intangibles like communication skills and ability to problem solve, but he ignored policy, he should be suspended. If he's essentially allowing certain schools to feed the program at the expense of others, thats an issue. But without knowing the policy, or the candidates, there's no way to have an informed opinion. This is just two angry people shouting about generalities because it's not legal to share the specifics. Much more interested in the board's findings.
weatherwitch 1 year ago
There has to be more than this to the story. It is vital that people aren't overlooked because of gender, race, sexuality for jobs but they Also need to be Qualified for that job too. Or training (depending) on the job. I'm Non-Binary, Asexual etc etc but I don't expect a job without the qualifications. Must be more than this to the story which is written to involk reaction
Kelly Ross 1 year ago
Sickening on a level of insanity that is virtually impossible to wrap my head around.
Sand Ers 1 year ago
Excluding a director from policy meetings she was explicitly hired to attend, and lying about the meaning, purpose, and practices of DEI programs? Absolutely.
Load More Replies... Ace 1 year ago
Seems like the real reason for the complaints against him was that she was not being invited to leadership meetings so was being excluded from policy-making discussions - this headline about hiring practices is a bit of a smokescreen.
Sand Ers 1 year ago
Excluded from meetings discussing policies that she was specifically hired to address and be involved with. It looks very much like the top banana should be put on a time out just like the second banana. IMG_2278-6...c-jpeg.jpg
Marno C. 1 year ago
This article is written in a very inflammatory way. The use of quotation marks around contentious phrases and allegations would help. Otherwise, it implies that the writer is presenting them as verified facts. The party introducing those allegations must also be clearly identified and context given and fact-checked. If BP is going to attempt news-ish articles, they should also strive for other journalistic standards such as a neutral tone.
Al Ban 1 year ago
Binitha transform blank docs into news stories that demand clicks and shares (her bio on the website). So she doesn't really care about the stories, just the click, none of her stories are there to inform you, they are there for the click
Load More Replies... Erik Biesemeier 1 year ago
This is just red meat bs for the people complaining everything is "woke". As others have posted actual journalism regarding this story, I'll just say this is clickbait trash.
Stacy Varn 1 year ago
Wait... just making sure I understand, he got suspended for hiring people who were qualified to do the job rather than hiring to diversify the group of people for representation purposes?
Ace 1 year ago (edited)
No, if you read the backstory the whole thing about hiring practices is a red herring, nothing to do with why he is suspended. https://www.wweek.com/news/2024/10/10/state-provides-more-information-about-suspension-of-deputy-director-at-department-of-forestry/
Load More Replies... Sand Ers 1 year ago (edited)
BP linked to a paywalled story from “Oregon Live”, but all the twitter comments are directed to nypost. And if there’s one thing certain about nypost, it’s that they distort stories and fabricate shít to advance the magat agenda. Magats pretend that DEI programs don’t care about qualifications. The truth is that they are attempts to find qualified people from traditionally marginalized groups, instead of default hiring the nearest white male warm body.
Aline 1 year ago
Without knowing anything about the candidates, it's impossible to tell who is right/wrong. Just because you're the best candidate on paper, doesn't mean you're the one for the job. If the companies policy was to weigh other things more than degrees, not just gender but intangibles like communication skills and ability to problem solve, but he ignored policy, he should be suspended. If he's essentially allowing certain schools to feed the program at the expense of others, thats an issue. But without knowing the policy, or the candidates, there's no way to have an informed opinion. This is just two angry people shouting about generalities because it's not legal to share the specifics. Much more interested in the board's findings.
weatherwitch 1 year ago
There has to be more than this to the story. It is vital that people aren't overlooked because of gender, race, sexuality for jobs but they Also need to be Qualified for that job too. Or training (depending) on the job. I'm Non-Binary, Asexual etc etc but I don't expect a job without the qualifications. Must be more than this to the story which is written to involk reaction
Kelly Ross 1 year ago
Sickening on a level of insanity that is virtually impossible to wrap my head around.
Sand Ers 1 year ago
Excluding a director from policy meetings she was explicitly hired to attend, and lying about the meaning, purpose, and practices of DEI programs? Absolutely.
Load More Replies... You May Like
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