Top Oregon official put on leave for allegedly prioritizing 'qualified' job candidates over 'gender identity'

Article here. Excerpt:

'A diversity, equity and inclusion expert had her former boss placed on administrative leave for reportedly prioritizing merit over personal identity when hiring new employees, according to a report.

Megan Donecker, who formerly served as the Oregon Department of Forestry’s DEI strategy officer, complained about the agency's management, criticizing her boss Mike Shaw for looking "beyond gender and identity in hiring, seeking only candidates most qualified for the job," OregonLive reported.

Shaw served as the agency's second-in-command under State Forester Cal Mukumoto until he was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 6 after Donecker filed a formal complaint against him, the Daily Mail reported.
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"The Department of Forestry is charged with protecting about 16 million acres of public and private forestland and serves as Oregon’s largest fire department," The local journalist Noelle Crombie wrote. "It is overseen by Mukumoto, who answers to the Oregon Board of Forestry, a seven-member citizen board appointed by the governor. Mukumoto, appointed in 2021, manages an agency of nearly 1,400 employees and a biennial budget of about $577 million. His salary is $237,288."'