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REIrt_DW�7) MAR 2 6 2026 K1.U11.AKJLJTITAS COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE BOARD o rc7 i""!!iS:iIQ'• MORI�IS SORENSEN BUILDINC; 507 Nort h Nattuni Strict, Su itc 113 A l'llensburg, WA 98926 Phonc: (509) 933-8200 * Fax: (509) 933-8224 *cnilail` coroticr,(,)):o.kittita5.wa.us Dear Kittitas County Commissioners, I am writing to formally bring to your attention a pattern of management concerns within the Kittitas County Coroner's Office. Deputy Coroners have attempted to resolve these issues internally. All four deputy coroners jointly submitted a professional, specific letter to Coroner Cori McKean asking for a direct discussion about repeated changes in operational expectations, policy reversals, communication issues, and other violations. Rather than meeting with the team, the Coroner sought legal counsel and engaged a paid mediator, canceling a previously scheduled team meeting in favor of mediation. After that response, we believe it is appropriate to inform the Board as the oversight body for elected officials. On or around March 9, 2026, the Coroner hired Ron Graham as a Deputy Coroner. A hiring committee was already in place and had reviewed candidates. Ron Graham was not among them. Upon inquiry with Human Resources, it was confirmed that he was hired without submitting an application. The Coroner emailed HR directly and instructed them to process the hire. This contradicts her own February 14 email, which stated her intent was for the deputy coroners to be on the interview panel because, in her words, "you are choosing your next team member." The existing deputies had no input and were not informed until after the hire was complete. The concern extends beyond how the hire was made to what he was hired to do. The county's job description for Deputy Coroner 1/II defines the essential functions as responding to death scenes, coordinating investigations with law enforcement, notifying next of kin, completing reports and death certificates, and assisting with autopsies. There is no language related to training, staff development, or policy creation all of which Cori indicated Ron would be doing. Those responsibilities belong to the Chief Deputy Coroner, whose job description explicitly assigns duties including training and coaching staff, coordinating meetings, staff training, researching, developing, and implementing policies and procedures. Despite this, Ron Graham appears to have been assigned a role focused on training rather than the investigative and scene response duties the position requires. If he is not performing the essential functions outlined in his job description, then the county is paying a deputy coroner for work that either already falls under the Chief Deputy Coroner or does not correspond to any existing county position. The Coroner has also created a policy sub-committee that includes the Chief Deputy Coroner, one existing deputy, and Ron Graham. Three of the four deputies who signed the original letter were not informed about this committee, including the deputy who had previously provided the