Commissioner Casey Miller Files Federal Retaliation Lawsuit

Lincoln County Commissioner Casey Miller has filed a federal lawsuit alleging county officials retaliated after he questioned whether they were complying with Oregon’s public meetings law.

The lawsuit was filed on March 13 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. It names Lincoln County, Human Resources Director David Collier, County Counsel Kristin Yuille, Commissioner Walter Chuck, and the estate of former Commissioner Claire Hall as defendants. A copy of the complaint can be viewed here.

Miller says the actions taken against him violated his First Amendment rights and Oregon’s whistleblower protection laws. In a statement, Miller’s attorney, Beth Creighton, said: “This case strikes at the heart of democracy, where an elected official is being prevented from doing what the people elected him to do. It also disenfranchises every single voter who voted for him by not allowing him to represent their will in county governance.”

Questions Raised at September Meeting

The dispute traces back to a commissioner’s report Miller delivered during a Sept. 18, 2024 meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.

During that report, Miller questioned whether Hall, Yuille and other county officials had discussed county business outside public meetings.

According to the complaint, Miller questioned whether they had “violated Oregon’s public meeting laws by participating in prohibited serial communications and by otherwise considering or deciding county matters outside of public meetings.”

The report also raised concerns about long-running biweekly staff meetings involving county leadership. Miller questioned whether those meetings complied with the law. Those meetings were discontinued immediately after Miller raised the issue and have not been held since.

The next day, Sept. 19, 2024, Miller was told a complaint had been filed against him. The county then opened an investigation into whether he had violated county policies. Miller “was not informed of the content of the alleged complaint(s),” according to the lawsuit.

Investigation and Restrictions

During the investigation, Miller says he was placed under restrictions that limited how he could perform his duties as an elected commissioner. He was told he could not enter county office spaces except to attend public meetings. He was also instructed not to communicate with county employees except through a designated liaison. In a statement, Miller said, “I believe actions taken by county officials have prevented me from fully performing the duties of the office voters elected me to serve.”

Miller raised concerns about those restrictions at an Oct. 2, 2024 Board of Commissioners meeting. “I haven't talked to anyone in two weeks. Two weeks! No one from my management team,” Miller said while asking how he could continue performing his responsibilities.

During that meeting, Yuille said Miller could still reach out to staff and attend meetings. The lawsuit says that statement conflicted with instructions Miller had received from Collier and further alleges that Collier, Hall and Yuille barred Miller from attending management meetings, threatening to cancel them if he attended.

Miller later submitted a written complaint about what he described as hostile and inappropriate conduct by a county employee during the Oct. 2, 2024 meeting. According to the lawsuit, that complaint was never investigated.

Investigation Findings and Public Statements

An investigation report released in January 2025 concluded that Miller did not engage in bullying or harassment. However, the report claimed he violated county personnel rules related to confidentiality.

Around the same time, the county’s Public Information Officer sent a media statement to local news outlets saying the investigation found Miller created a “toxic work environment.” Hall later shared the statement on Facebook. The report itself did not make that finding. The lawsuit alleges the statement was false and damaged Miller’s reputation.

Keycard Access and Later Events

The complaint also describes restrictions imposed months later.

In February 2025, Collier and Yuille instructed the county to deactivate Miller’s keycard access to county offices, including Miller’s own office, according to the lawsuit. Miller said he remains unable to access his office.

The lawsuit also references events involving District Attorney Jenna Wallace, who told the Board of Commissioners in March 2025 that Collier and Yuille had engaged in whistleblower retaliation against her office. The lawsuit further alleges that in April 2025 Hall declined to authorize an investigation into Wallace’s accusations. The complaint says Hall made the decision without a vote of the Board of Commissioners and publicly stated she believed Wallace’s claims lacked merit.

Agenda Disputes

Miller’s lawsuit also claims he was repeatedly prevented from placing governance-related items on the Board of Commissioners agendas.

According to the complaint, those items included requests to establish an agenda process, clarify authority during the county administrator vacancy, and review grievances and litigation involving the county.

The lawsuit says blocking those discussions limited Miller’s ability to carry out his duties and prevented public discussion of county governance issues.

Lawsuit Seeks Damages

Miller is seeking damages, attorney fees and court orders requiring Lincoln County to rescind public statements related to the investigation and issue a formal apology. County spokesperson Kenneth Lipp said the county does not comment on pending litigation.