Maricopa County announced Monday that it is looking to replace Animal Control Director Michael Mendel, who quit his job after an employee complained of bullying staff and having an emotional outburst.
According to new documents released to the Republic of Arizona at the request of public records, three officials told the county’s human resources department that Mendel screamed and made violent gestures at a regular meeting in early November. Employee complaints and notes from staff interviews show that the explosion left several employees in tears.
One employee said, “The director has a reputation for being a bully, but it was the first time I’d seen it in person. For privacy reasons, the names of Mendel’s accusers have been redacted.” “His emotional outbursts included him walking back and forth, shaking his fists, getting close to people’s faces, and yelling.”
Maricopa County officials said in a prepared statement that Mendel had resigned.
However, Mendel simply said in the text, “I have no comment other than that I did not resign.”
The news of Mendel’s resignation comes less than a month after he took a leave of absence amid allegations of incompetent management and bullying behavior. He has been the county animal shelter director since his March 2022.
Maricopa County will seek a new leader for this difficult sector, officials said in a statement. It employs about 50 people and has about 700 animals.
In the meantime, the animal shelter will be overseen by longtime government administrator Bill Wiley, who has previously held various temporary roles in the county.
Once hired, the new director will also have a new boss. The division will be reassigned from Assistant County Manager Valerie Beckett to Assistant County Her Manager Jen Pokorski.
County Manager Joy Rich said, “Jen Pokorski brings fresh eyes, but we will continue to focus on continuous improvement.
“If necessary, I will kill 50 dogs this week.”
The outburst at Mendel’s conference occurred amid an outbreak of distemper that began in October inside the county’s East Shelter in Mesa, staff said in a report.
Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that causes dogs to cough, lose their appetite, vomit, and can be fatal.
The outbreak, which infected 240 animals, sparked public backlash and several animals were euthanized to stop the spread of the disease. Mendel’s outburst began as a response to community criticism, employees report in a statement.
“Somebody said to Michael, ‘They have to rake you over the coal,'” one employee told Human Resources in an interview. Bring it over.’ Michael’s voice rose and he started screaming.”
At one point, Mendel exclaimed that the shelter was “his life’s work” and that he would “kill 50 dogs this week if necessary.”
“His behavior was not only unprofessional, it was frightening and intimidating. I don’t feel comfortable being with him because of outbursts like this,” the employee said in a complaint. “He looks explosively unpredictable and unstable.”
Five of the 15 employees interviewed by HR directly stated that Mendel’s actions made them and their colleagues uncomfortable. Several others did not interpret Mendel’s behavior as threatening, but said he was known to be loud and short-tempered.
“No one apologized,” one employee told Human Resources. “I don’t think the person who made that outburst should have apologized, but he didn’t.”
Mendel told Human Resources he didn’t think his actions were unprofessional.
“He said he was passionate because of all the hateful emails and comments they all received on social media,” the report said.
Resignations add to the constant turnover rate within the department
When Mendel was first hired, he entered a county shelter system long riddled with turnover and scandal. Mendel was his third director in office in this three-year period, excluding Beckett, who briefly served as interim director in 2020.
His arrival comes on the heels of a 2019 investigation from the Republic detailing concerns about toxic workplaces within the department and poor conditions within the shelter. botched surgeries, causing a string of injuries and deaths over the years.
Mendel had volunteered for many years at the county’s animal shelter, and his employment was heralded as a new page in the troubled organization. He said that he will execute a vision based on
“We cherish the opportunity to continue our passion to serve the animals in our care,” he said in a statement about the employment.
Sasha Hupka covers regional affairs for Maricopa County, Pinal County, and the Republic of Arizona.Any tips for county government or county services? Contact her sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.comFollow her on Twitter. @SashaHupka.
