The chief of staff for one of Hamilton County Commission’s three members resigned today, citing “personal family matters” for his departure.
Paul Sohi, a dentist who served in the top staff role for Democrat Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas, tweeted today that he would leave his post after a brief and turbulent tenure at the job.
In early February last year, Sohi filed discrimination complaints against the commission’s two other members, Democrats Denise Driehaus and Todd Portune. Sohi said both were verbally abusive to him — a charge both Driehaus and Portune have strongly denied.
“I was advised that being yelled and screamed at is part of the job, for which I stated I will not allow it,” Sohi wrote in his complaint.
After Sohi’s allegations, Dumas at one point directed him not to meet with the other commission members in person.
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission dismissed Sohi’s allegations in October after finding no evidence to support them.
Sohi didn’t mention the complaint or his allegations of a hostile work environment in the brief tweet he posted today announcing his resignation. That tweet included an image of his written and signed resignation dated Dec. 26.
I have resigned from Chief of Staff position today, to focus on personal family matters @ScottWartman @KellyRippin @BusinessCourier @jwilliamscincy @Willie700WLW @HamiltonCntyOH @CityBeatCincy pic.twitter.com/5oEAK5JE6F
— Dr. Paul Sohi (@DrPaulSohi) January 2, 2020
Dumas, formerly the mayor of Forest Park, won an upset victory over Republican incumbent Chris Monzel in November 2018 after besting endorsed Democrat and Mount Healthy Mayor James Wolf in the May party primary.
This article appears in Dec 25, 2019 – Jan 7, 2020.
