When Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Joan Lopez took office in 2019, Michele Peterson had already worked in the elections division for 10 years. “I had always planned on retiring from the county, not leaving at 60 years of age,” she reflected. “I didn’t want to leave. I loved my job. I loved making a difference and helping voters.”

Unfortunately for Peterson, Lopez rehired Karl Hermann as her chief deputy, despite admonitions from human resources, legal and county commissioners. Lopez’s predecessor had penalized Hermann for harassing Peterson. This led to his demotion, reassignment and eventual departure.

“Why was she allowed to bring Karl back?” one employee asked county commissioners in an unsigned 2019 letter. “To say we were all shocked is a complete understatement,” another wrote in a different anonymous letter. “I don’t see how Karl is still there,” said former employee Christina Gonzales.

Since Peterson went public in my November 23, 2019 KNUS interview — while she was still an employee — Lopez has refused to release the incident report, even after an open records request.

Following Peterson’s whistleblowing radio interview, she continued to work. “My therapist suggested leaving for my own sanity, but I didn’t feel that was fair. I had done nothing wrong.” Then, she says, she started being mistreated. “In the years before, my performance evaluations were always very good,” Peterson says. “It became clear to me that it didn’t matter what I did or how hard I worked, I would and did receive the lowest score possible.” The burden became unbearable. “I just couldn’t take anymore,” she recalls. “They wanted me out. I chose to leave with the little bit of sanity I had left.”

You might call it resignation by a thousand cuts — or what Karen Martin labeled “constructive discharge.” It’s a legal term which means an employer has created a work environment so hostile that an employee has no choice but to quit.

Martin’s niece, Jenny, was an “exemplary” 21-year veteran of the clerk’s office who viewed her job as her career. At some point after Lopez took office, Jenny was “targeted.”

“She was tormented, harassed, micromanaged and bullied,” Martin said. “She lost her confidence, dignity.” Ultimately, Jenny resigned, and soon took her own life. As someone who has publicly shared my own past struggles with depression and suicide, my heart breaks.

“We’ve lost a lot of good people because of the kind of treatment they’re put through when they’re at the clerk’s office,” Gonzales noted — including Gonzales herself, who says she endured “micromanagement” and “nitpicking every day” after Lopez assumed office. She left in 2019 after nearly five years.

The seeds of toxicity were planted early and have since grown. “Nothing has changed from the beginning,” reports one current employee. “Even some of the people that were really championing Joan because they thought they were her friend. Employees, citizens alike, I’ve heard it from all angles. Mostly the staff at work.”

And Clerk Lopez’s response to these concerns?

“As a nearly 21-year veteran employee of the Clerk and Recorder’s Office, Clerk Lopez fully understands the many demands placed upon the team,” spokesman Tom Skelley insisted in an email. “The employees of this Office are our most valuable asset, and Clerk Lopez and her leadership team remain committed to making our workplace a supportive environment where we can all perform meaningful work together.”

Yet, regardless of who I have interviewed, an inescapable pattern emerges: “Toxic,” “micromanagement,” “overworked,” “burnt out” and “targeted” keep coming up.

“It really is a hostile work environment,” said one current employee, who wished to remain anonymous. “Targets are definitely put into positions where they are set up to fail.” Gonzales similarly recalled a staffer who moved offices “because of being targeted.”

The toxicity manifests in staffing numbers. The Arapahoe clerk’s office is understaffed by 28 vacant full-time positions. This continues an annual trend of 11 vacancies in 2019, 15 vacancies in 2020 and 20 vacancies in 2021. The Centennial motor vehicle branch alone is short 10 full-time positions, including a supervisor.

“We are all overworked due to the staffing shortages, but we all work together as a team to help the citizens of Arapahoe County,” another employee said, citing low staff pay as a major concern. “It is hard to get the commissioners to listen to our complaints about pay when Lopez has burned bridges with them.”

How does Lopez square her stated support of #MeToo and the advancement of women with her actions and decisions, including re-hiring Hermann, never speaking with Peterson about their incident, and fostering a “hostile work environment” for female employees? “Women deserve equal representation in government,” answered Skelley, “and Clerk and Recorder Lopez is proud to stand for all women in Arapahoe County.” Gaslighting much?

To the average resident of Arapahoe County, Joan Lopez has an inviting smile and a welcoming, pleasant demeanor. Clerk Lopez, a Democrat running for reelection, was elected amid Colorado’s 2018 “Blue Wave.” It’s time for voters to ask if this visage fits reality.

Jimmy Sengenberger is host of “The Jimmy Sengenberger Show” Saturdays from 6-9am on News/Talk 710 KNUS. He also hosts “Jimmy at the Crossroads,” a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner.