Connecticut's Top Public Defender Fights to Keep Job Amid Misconduct Allegations

TaShun Bowden-Lewis, Connecticut's first Black chief public defender, is fighting to keep her job as the state's Public Defender Services Commission considers firing her for alleged misconduct. The commission has lodged 16 misconduct allegations against Bowden-Lewis after an independent investigation, including claims that she created a work environment of fear and retaliation, made unfounded accusations of racism against those who disagreed with her, and improperly accessed the emails of staff and the commission chairman.

At a hearing on Tuesday, Bowden-Lewis and her attorney denied the allegations . The commission had previously reprimanded Bowden-Lewis in October 2023 for alleged inappropriate and unacceptable conduct and placed her on paid administrative leave in February 2024 after the public defenders union voted 121-9 to express no confidence in her leadership.

The case has been marked by acrimony, with four of the commission's five members resigning last year after Bowden-Lewis made allegations of racism and threatened a lawsuit over the commission's rejection of her choice for human resources director. Bowden-Lewis, who took office in 2021, suggested that she was being treated differently than her predecessors and said she has done nothing harmful to the agency.

The commission deferred a decision on possible discipline to allow Bowden-Lewis and her attorney to decide whether they want to call and question witnesses. Bowden-Lewis has the support of many in the Black community, including a law professor who believes she deserves a second chance despite any judgment errors made in good faith.

The independent investigation by Shipman Goodwin LLP found that while Bowden-Lewis had bullied or marginalized employees who questioned her, her conduct did not amount to discrimination, harassment, or an illegal hostile work environment. Bowden-Lewis argues that the commission, in particular its chair Richard N. Palmer, has resisted opportunities for peace, and she is ready and willing to find common ground .

Key Takeaways

• TaShun Bowden-Lewis, CT's first Black chief public defender, faces misconduct allegations.
• Allegations include creating a hostile work environment and improperly accessing emails.
• Bowden-Lewis denies the claims, defends her actions as within office policy.
• Case has broader implications for CT's public defender system and racial dynamics.
• Commission deferred decision, allowing Bowden-Lewis to call witnesses in her defense.