Documents detail months leading to Longview environmental health manager’s resignation | For Subscribers Only

The city of Longview rejected a “hostile work environment” claim by former Environmental Health Manager Leisha Kidd-Brooks shortly after her resignation this year.

Kidd-Brooks resigned in lieu of being fired in September. Her resignation followed months of concerns raised by Development Services Director Michael Shirley — including that she had allowed her required sanitarian registration to lapse.

Her license lapsed in November 2023, according to documents obtained through a request under state public information laws. The license has since been renewed.

City spokesman Richard Yeakley previously said the resignation came as the Development Services Department was pursuing disciplinary action for a “pattern of behavior primarily centered around communication with both her supervisors and her staff.” He said there had been months-long issues with Kidd-Brooks failing to follow procedures and not communicating with supervisors and her staff.

Kidd-Brooks presents a different picture, saying Shirley was the problem.

The information obtained by the News-Journal shows months of meetings between her, her supervisors and human resources personnel trying to resolve issues.  

Shirley details concerns in notes he made about issues that occurred starting in November 2022, including the February 2024 discovery that her state license was not valid. His notes say he had received “information” about her license. It does not say how he received that information.

The notes said:

“Per Texas Administrative Code Title 16 Part 4 Ch. 119 26 (d) each registrant is responsible for renewing the registration before the expiration date and shall not be excused from paying the renewal fee. Failure to receive notification from the department prior to the expiration date of the registration will not excuse the sanitarian from renewing. Per (e) Registration Expiration. A person whose registration has expired may not claim to be a sanitarian or sanitarian in training or use the titles ‘sanitarian’ or ‘sanitarian in training’. This is a class B violation with a fine and up to a year suspension from the state.

“Registration as a sanitarian by the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration is a requirement of the Environmental Health Manager for the City of Longview. … Leisha is expected to represent the City’s core values at all time and as a manager, she is expected to lead her team by example. Failing to maintain her certification can lead to morale issues and no confidence by her subordinates. It can also have a negative impact on not just the department but also The City of Longview. One of the roles the department has is requiring food services organizations to maintain permitting. If the Manager of the department can (t) maintain their state certifications what kind of example does that set and how are we able to justify our enforcement.”

Shirley’s report said on Feb. 26, “I told (Kidd-Brooks) that she could not continue to operate in her capacity as (environmental health) Manager and as a Sanitarian with an expired RS to which she just shrugged. (Kidd-Brooks) said, ‘I’m sure someone brought this to you and what are you and your coconspirators up to.’ (Kidd-Brooks) also said ‘I have been nothing but honest and the truth is all I have unlike you.'”

“(Kidd-Brooks) asked me if this is how you want to do this and what the end goal is. (Kidd-Brooks) stated, ‘You and I have a history are you sure you want to go down this road. If this is how you want to start it then just tell me what you are trying to do.’”

“I responded by saying that (Kidd-Brooks) is the one who did not maintain her state certification… told her that she couldn’t serve as the EH manager until she was in good standing and that she would need to get that taken care of on her own time.”

On Feb. 28, Shirley and Ingrid Self, assistant Development Services director, met with Kidd-Brooks and gave her until March 5 to renew her state license.

“During the meeting (Kidd-Brooks) was very combative and very threatening. She told me that not everyone liked me and that people in the department had left because of me,” Shirley’s report said. “(Kidd-Brooks) said that she didn’t like me and that I didn’t like her and that I was a liar and didn’t tell the truth. (Kidd-Brooks) made several comments insinuating that she would be retaliating against the corrective action. At the end of the meeting I asked (Kidd-Brooks) to sign the counseling form to acknowledge receipt and she refused and told me and Ingrid to get out of her office.”

One Love Longview

Shirley’s report goes on to detail incidents, health inspections and responses to environmental health complaints about which he had concerns.

Those include two times he described under the heading “Concerns about improperly approving permits for friends.”

“On Thursday February 29, 2024 in a conversation with (office manager) Shannon Davis-Alexander, Shannon asked me if we should be verifying the nonprofit status of organizations that are requesting fee waivers for health special event permits.” Shirley’s report says. “I told her that yes we should verify with a copy of the non profit status for the file. She stated that she had requested a copy from an applicant who got upset that she had asked for it. Shannon was concerned that it was not a verifiable nonprofit. The applicant called (Kidd-Brooks) to complain, and Leisha directed Shannon not to require it and to waive the fee. Shannon was concerned that she was being told not to require it because they didn’t have it and she was a friend of Leisha’s.”

Then, in April, Kidd-Brooks and Shirley talked about the nonprofit organization One Love Longview, and Kidd-Brooks said she wasn’t going to be involved in that issue because she is friends with Executive Director Amanda Veasey, Shirley’s report said.

One Love Longview provides services to homeless people on McCann Road. The organization has been a source of controversy in the community since it moved there.

“I told Leisha that it was in her best interest to not get involved with anything related to One Love because of her friendship and the fact that it could have a negative appearance and she didn’t need that. I told her that I would be handling any issues with them in the future,” according to Shirley’s notes.

He went on to describe how One Love applied for a food permit but was given requirements it had to meet at its facility, including requirements for several types of sinks needed in the kitchen and for a commercial refrigerator.

Shirley said health inspectors found in August that One Love was serving food without a permit.

“When I asked for a status update (Kidd-Brooks) said Newgate will deliver meals to One Love daily and she was issued a limited foods health permit,” Shirley’s report said. No inspections were performed to make sure they complied with the minimum standards as outlined from the plan review that was performed.

“When (Kidd-Brooks) was questioned by her staff as to why the permit was issued without compliance she shrugged.

“It appears that this permit was issued by Leisha despite One Love not meeting the requirements and despite her acknowledging that she did not need to be involved with anything related to One Love.”

The health permit was later revoked by the city of Longview.

‘Toxic environment’

Kidd-Brooks, however, told the News-Journal she had actually told Shirley that she “knows many people within the city limits and that most certainly wouldn’t interfere with my job,” she said. 

“I instructed Michael that One Love did not require a permit from our office because they were not preparing food,” she said.

She said Shirley sent two health inspectors to One Love Longview “and insisted they give (Veasy) a plan review” that led to the sink and other requirements.

One Love Longview started getting meals for its clients from Newgate Mission. Then, Veasy called the environmental health office about needing a permit.

“I explained since she wasn’t touching food she wouldn’t need one, but she insisted on having something to stop the harassment,” Kidd-Brooks said. “(Shirley) stormed in the next day and didn’t ask me what happened, just spoke in a loud voice, ‘I told you to stay out of it.'”

It was a “toxic environment,” Kidd-Brooks said. 

In August, Kidd-Brooks was placed on “decision making leave,” a short time period given to an employee to decide whether to remain employed and follow an improvement plan or leave employment. She responded with a handwritten letter on Aug. 28 reiterating her belief that she was working in a hostile work environment and that Shirley had a vendetta against her.

In a Sept. 13 document, a human resources official with the city of Longview explained why Kidd-Brooks’ complaints about Shirley weren’t a “hostile” work environment per the legal definition. It also described that the investigation into the issue revealed “that Ms. Kidd-Brooks creates an uncomfortable work environment for the employees who report to her.”

When she was contacted recently, Kidd-Brooks thanked the community for supporting her “and knowing that I operate in truth, integrity and humility.”