Three City Parks Employees on Equity Team Placed on Leave

Three city staffers who work in an equity and inclusion division of Portland Parks & Recreation have been placed on leave.

That’s according to a Sept. 10 email sent to parks bureau employees by Sonia Schmanski, the deputy city administrator overseeing the newly created Vibrant Communities service area, which includes the parks bureau, the Office of Arts & Culture, and the Children’s Levy.

“Please be aware that, at this time, three Parks & Recreation employees from the current Equity and Inclusion team are on leave. Thank you in advance for respecting employees’ privacy. I appreciate that change can be unsettling, especially when we are experiencing so much of it during Portland’s government transition.”

That leaves only one person on the equity and inclusion team in the parks bureau: its manager, Amanda Manjarrez.

It’s unclear why the three staffers were placed on leave. Schmanski mentioned upcoming structural changes to Vibrant Communities in her email, but did not address why the staffers were placed on leave.

“We are committed to building a strong foundation for performance and equity across the service area,” Schmanski wrote.

The parks bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though the city typically does not comment on personnel matters.