County Probation Chief to Respond to Allegations of Inappropriate Relationship With Staffer

Los Angeles County Probation Department Chief Jerry Powers says he has been summoned to a closed-door meeting Tuesday with the Board of Supervisors to respond to allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.

Supervisors and the Los Angeles Times received an anonymous letter stating Powers had a romantic relationship with his top administrative deputy, Kym Renner. It contained copies of purported receipts for flowers, and messages professing his love allegedly sent by Powers to Renner before and after her 2013 hiring.

Under county rules, personal relationships between supervisors and subordinates can create conflicts of interest and lead to disciplinary action.

Powers, 52, was hired in 2011 with a mandate to clean up hiring practices for the department of 6,200 employees, according to The Times. The agency had been faulted by federal authorities for misuse of force against juvenile detainees and poor internal controls on employee conduct.

Renner, 42, who previously held human resources positions for Stanislaus County and for the city of Redondo Beach, was hired to oversee personnel, labor relations, training and risk management for the Probation Department, The Times reported.

Powers, who earns more than $378,000 in salary and benefits, declined Monday to comment on the allegations of a relationship. In an earlier interview with The Times, he denied ever being romantically involved with a subordinate.

City News Service