Whistleblower Sues Oregon Department of Forestry

The lawsuit adds to the troubles at ODF.

Burned forest near Mill City. (Brian Burk)
By Nigel Jaquiss

The embattled Oregon Department of Forestry faces a new whistleblower lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court.

Shauneen Scott, a 40-year state employee who most recently served as ODF’s human resources director, alleges in the April 18 lawsuit that she filed reports with the state about a variety of concerns about ODF management after joining the agency in 2024. After some of those concerns contributed to high-level departures, Scott’s lawsuit says, the department’s acting director, Kate Skinner, fired Scott in February 2025. She is seeking $800,000 in damages.

The Oregon Department of Justice, which will defend the state against Scott’s lawsuit, does not comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit adds to the troubles at ODF, which has seen its top two executives fired in the past six months and was dinged by the Oregon State Treasury for poor financial management. The Legislature bailed out the agency in a special session last fall.

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state.

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