On Monday, former Inyo County social worker Teri Goodson waged a one woman protest outside of the Health and Human Services Office in Bishop. Goodson says that Inyo County’s termination policies are unfair.

Goodson recently moved to Bishop to work as a county social worker. She was fired after six months on the job, right before she finished her six month probationary period.

When asked why she was fired right before her probation was up, Goodson said she did ask, but no one has told her why. She says that during a probation period, the county can legally fire someone with out reason. “That doesn’t make it right,” Godson says. She believes that the county should at least tell the employee what they need to do improve.

Goodson says that two weeks before she was fired, she asked her supervisor how she was doing and the supervisor told her so far so good. She also says that she was the third social worker fired in the last year during their probationary period. All of whom were not told why, she says.

While Goodson was the only person on the street carrying a picket sign, she does not appear to be alone in her dislike of the county’s termination policy. Weve received phone calls from a group of county employees that say they have 38 years of employment with Inyo County. This group says they support the efforts of Goodson to shed light on this situation.

When asked about this case, County Administrator Kevin Carrunchio, said that it was county policy not to comment on personnel matter.

Health and Human Services Director Jean Dickenson, explained that she could not comment on any specifics of this employment issue. Health and Human Services follows the personnel rules and policies set by the county counsel and the risk manager, she says. While she couldn’t speak to the specific of this case, Dickenson did say that she understands that jobs impact peoples lives. We don’t take that lightly, she said.

Whatever happened here, Teri Goodson asks that shares her concerns about the county’s termination policy to contact their supervisor. As for Goodson, shes without a job and plans to move to Orange County to help care for her mother who is not well.

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