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El Dorado County paid a former employee $75,000 in severance pay this February after a disciplinary probe, according to the settlement agreement reviewed by The Bee. The employee was also paid about $59,000 in paid administrative leave starting in September.<\/p>\n
Corey Schmidt<\/p>\n
corey.schmidt@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
El Dorado County opened its checkbook for a former employee in February, paying her $75,000 to resign as part of a settlement agreement stemming from a disciplinary investigation.<\/p>\n
The employee, former Public Health Director Jennifer Byrne, also received more than $59,000 in administrative leave pay, according to County Auditor-Controller Joe Harn, bringing the total cost to taxpayers to about $134,000.<\/p>\n
Byrne was placed on paid administrative leave in late September \u2014 nine days after a resident accused her of posting inappropriate content on Instagram about conservative activist Charlie Kirk\u2019s death, according to an email the resident sent to the county that was obtained by The Sacramento Bee.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be in a public position responsible for the \u2018health and safety\u2019 of her community, but to hold such radical and truly disgusting beliefs that she would encourage, trivialize, celebrate and even victim-blame in such a tragic event, completely undermines her credibility and proves she is unfit for duty,\u201d the email states.<\/p>\n
Kirk, a founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot last September<\/a> during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University.<\/p>\n Byrne was notified in early November of the county\u2019s intent to terminate her employment. She signed a settlement agreement about three months later.<\/p>\n El Dorado County has not disclosed what allegations sparked the disciplinary investigation. The settlement requires the county to place Byrne\u2019s termination notice in a sealed envelope that can only be opened for eligible litigation or administrative proceedings. The agreement also guarantees her a neutral reference for prospective employers.<\/p>\n The county withdrew disciplinary measures, including its notice of intent to terminate, as part of the settlement agreement. Byrne, who was hired in December 2023 to oversee programs including tobacco use prevention<\/a>, said the allegations were not proven and that she was surprised by the termination notice because she received positive reviews before the investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cI chose to resolve the matter through a settlement agreement and voluntarily resigned because I did nothing wrong and no longer believed the County could provide the professional work environment I expected,\u201d Byrne wrote in a statement. \u201cI remain proud of my service to the County and the positive impact I made on the community.\u201d<\/p>\n What did Byrne say about Charlie Kirk?<\/p>\n Byrne shared two Instagram posts to her story feed \u2014 a feature that allows users to temporarily share content already posted on the social media platform \u2014 which were included as screenshots in the complaint email and reviewed by The Bee.<\/p>\n One of the shared items was from the satire account Reductress depicting a photo of Kirk coupled with text of \u201cSad! Politicians Denounce Political Violence that Man Worked so Hard to Build.\u201d<\/p>\n The other depicts a Newsweek headline<\/a> from April 2023 reading \u201cCharlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths \u2018Unfortunately\u2019 Worth it to Keep 2nd Amendment.\u201d That same article was referenced<\/a> in a separate social media dispute involving a professor at Austin Peay State University, who later received a $500,000 settlement after being fired, according to The Tennessean newspaper.<\/p>\n Byrne did not write additional commentary on her Instagram stories beyond what was included in the two posts she shared, according to the screenshots. She did not directly say how she felt about Kirk or his death.<\/p>\n When asked about the screenshots this week, Byrne denounced political violence.<\/p>\n \u201cI abhor gun violence and condemn the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk,\u201d Byrne wrote. \u201cNo one should ever be targeted because of their political beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n A related Supreme Court precedent<\/p>\n Cases involving public employee speech<\/a> are often considered risky for government agencies because of a Supreme Court ruling issued after the assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan.<\/p>\n In that case, Rankin v. McPherson, a county employee in Texas said, \u201cIf they go for him again, I hope they get him.\u201d The comment resulted in the employee being fired, but the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the firing violated the employee\u2019s First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n This decision makes it difficult to fire a public employee unless the action would limit their ability to execute work duties, according to Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley\u2019s School of Law.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Supreme Court has said that speech by government employees is protected if it involves a matter of public concern and if the speech interests involved outweigh the government\u2019s interests,\u201d Chemerinsky said.<\/p>\n When asked about the general use of employee settlement agreements, Board of Supervisors Chair Brooke Laine said legal risks are considered when settlements are negotiated. El Dorado County has settled eight employee disciplinary cases since 2020.<\/p>\n Byrne\u2019s case is the most costly employee settlement arising from disciplinary allegations during that period. The only other disciplinary settlement to include severance pay was a $2,500 payment in July 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the settlement\u2019s high, the risk could have been higher,\u201d said Laine, who declined to speak specifically about Byrne\u2019s case, citing it as a personnel matter.<\/p>\n The ability to successfully defend a potential lawsuit is not the only risk considered, according to county spokesperson Carla Hass, who said officials also consider attorney fees and staff time.<\/p>\n \u201cThe county\u2019s recently passed budget attests to this responsible stewardship,\u201d Hass wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2162182816.jpg\" "\\"GettyImages-2162182816.jpg\\"")
The late CEO of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks on stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chip Somodevilla Getty Images <\/p>\n
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