The commissioner of the Employment Security Department announced his retirement Thursday following complaints of inappropriate conduct with women at the state agency.
The investigation into the allegations against Commissioner Dale Peinecke started in January, and the spokesperson for the state agency said the final report was sent to the governor's office Wednesday.
Governor Jay Inslee said he first became aware of the allegations last month.
"Obvious concern because we want our employees to feel safe and comfortable at work," he said.
An ESD employee spoke to KING 5 on the condition of anonymity because she fears retaliation.
She said she has been employed at the state agency for several years and describes feeling uncomfortable around Peinecke.
"Every conversation was very close, putting arms around people, putting an arm on your back if he stood next to you," she said.
She also claims it did not matter what you were wearing; the commissioner was going to "eyeball" you up and down.
"We are not talking a quick glance. You are talking a stop and stare right at the chest area," she said.
She's not alone. KING 5 obtained a fact-finding report. At least 16 employees were interviewed by an independent investigator; nine of them are women accusing the commissioner of inappropriate conduct.
One said, "...some of the other women in the room said Mr. Peinecke had been looking down at my chest area the whole five minutes he was there."
Another said, "Quite frankly, I have never had a man gawk at me in such an obviously leering way, even in a bar when people are under the influence of alcohol."
Cheryl Petrie, who has worked for the agency for 40 years and allowed us to identify her, described an interaction with Peineicke during a presentation last year.
"[He] put his arm around me. Mr. Peinecke's entire upper body was pressed against me on my right side and he had me pinned against a file cabinet on my left side. The photo shows that Mr. Peinecke was looking down toward my breasts," she said in the report.
Last month, Petrie filed a lawsuit against Peinecke and the department for discrimination and sexual harassment.
When asked for comment about the report, ESD spokesperson said Peinecke was on vacation and unavailable.
In a statement he prepared beforehand, the commissioner said "I respect those people who have come forward," and that it's important for "employees to be treated with fairness and respect."
Peinecke has offered to stay on the job until the end of June, but the governor said the transition would likely happen before that.
"We just need him to wrap up whatever matters very quickly," Inslee said.
Inslee noted Peinecke's departure is quote "doubly disappointing" because of the progress the agency made during his tenure.
"There were some good things happening in this department. But quite clearly he did not comport himself in a way that allowed people to comfortable on the job."
In an email, one female employee said she is far from satisfied.
"Not one apology has been given to the women of ESD, the women who have lost their jobs or moved to other agency because of this, or the women still here that will have to continue to see him on a daily basis until his departure," she wrote.
