The discrimination complaint filed against Grand County last week has grown significantly, with two more women joining the case and County Attorney Stephen Stocks named as a participant in alleged wrongdoing.
The amended notice of claim, filed Monday, September 22, brings the total number of current and former female county employees making formal allegations to 12.
The new complainants are Laura Long, a member of the Grand County Planning Commission, and Kristine Rogers, a former county employee. Eight additional allegations have been added to the original 19.
County Attorney Stephen Stocks is now specifically named as “an active participant in the wrongdoing” alongside commissioners Bill Winfield and Brian Martinez, who were identified in the original September 15 filing. Winfield and Martinez have both strongly disputed the allegations.
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Additional women added to complaint
Laura Long‘s addition stems from her highly publicized battle with Grand County commissioners earlier this year. The Grand County Commission voted 4-2 on April 1, 2025, to request her resignation from the volunteer Planning Commission position after she made public comments at a county hearing criticizing the Kane Creek development process.
During those March comments, Long used the term “corruption” when describing how developers influence local politics, but was speaking as a private citizen.She had properly filed conflict of interest statements and committed to recusing herself from Planning Commission votes related to Kane Creek development.
According to the amended legal filing, Long has since experienced “great stress, online bullying, and ongoing harassment as a result of standing her ground.”
Kristin Rogers previously served as Grand County’s managing public defender. According to the amended legal filing, Rogers’s “reputation was damaged and her [employment] wrongfully terminated after she criticized the professional judgment of County Attorney Stephen Stocks.”
Previous claimants include current Building Inspector Lisa Ceniceros, Commissioner Trish Hedin, paralegal Cristin Hofhine, Commissioner Mary McGann, and Responsible Recreation Coordinator Anna Sprout as well as former Airport Director Tammy Howland, former planner Machael Layton, former Assistant Airport Director Tara Collins, former HR Director Renee Baker, and former County Administrator Mallory Nassau.
Expanded allegations paint broader picture of systematic issues
The eight new allegations describe a pattern of behavior that the complainants say demonstrates institutional discrimination:
• Applying different ethical standards to female versus male county staff, officials, contractors, and volunteers
* Publicly disparaging women while giving men private discussions for similar issues
* Terminating female contractors’ agreements without cause over professional disagreements
* Threatening staff with “baseless litigation” for acting within their normal job duties
* Treating women differently in tone and manner, including refusing to answer questions or responding with condescension
* Deferring to men to answer technical questions instead of equally or more qualified women
* Misrepresenting county staff actions for personal gain of officials or their associates
* Restructuring and underfunding county departments for personal benefit of officials or their connections
Specific details of incidents have not been detailed thus far.
Officials maintain denials as case expands
When contacted about the original allegations last week, both commissioners named in the claim maintained their innocence.
“I categorically deny these allegations,” Winfield stated in an email response to the Moab Sun News. “I am confident that a full and fair investigation will confirm the truth, and I will vigorously defend myself if a lawsuit is filed.”
Martinez said in an email response to the Moab Sun News: “There is no truth to the allegations made against me.”
The Moab Sun News has reached out to County Attorney Stephen Stocks for comment on the amended allegations naming him specifically but has not yet received a response.
What this means for county operations and residents
The expanding case raises questions about the stability of county government operations and potential costs to taxpayers if the county faces a lawsuit. Attorney Sloan noted in her original filing that additional county employees have experienced similar treatment but “have chosen not to participate in this process in an effort to protect their jobs or in fear of retaliation.”
The amended notice maintains the same demands as the original: an apology, training, education, cultural reform, a thorough investigation, determination of wrongdoing, and public censure of the named officials. For some complainants, monetary damages for lost wages and mental anguish are also sought.
Grand County still has until mid-November to respond to the original notice of claim before the complainants can file a formal lawsuit. The amendment does not reset this timeline.
The next Grand County Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, at 4:00 p.m. at the Grand County Courthouse. Residents can submit public comments during the meeting or by emailing commission@grandcountyutah.gov.
Public comment periods typically allow residents to address commissioners for up to three minutes on any topic related to county business.
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