This story is part of CT Mirror Explains, an ongoing effort to distill our wide-ranging reporting into a "what you need to know" format and provide practical information to our readers.
Original reporting by Jaden Edison. Compiled by Gabby DeBenedictis.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of CT Mirror’s Spanish-language news coverage developed in partnership with Identidad Latina Multimedia.
TaShun Bowden-Lewis, Connecticut’s first Black chief public defender, was appointed by the Public Defender Services Commission to her role in July 2022.
But February 2024, the commission placed Bowden-Lewis on paid administrative leave following recurring disputes between her and the panel, a letter of reprimand and allegations that she improperly instructed a subordinate to access email accounts belonging to people critical of her.
Two public hearings followed. Now, the commission will make a decision regarding her future, which could include termination from office.
Here’s what to know.
Who is TaShun Bowden-Lewis and what is her job?
Bowden-Lewis is a South Norwalk native whose career as a public defense attorney spans more than two decades. In the years before her appointment, she oversaw an office of public defenders in Waterbury, where she also spent time in the courtroom representing clients.
Now, she leads the Division of Public Defender Services, an agency with hundreds of people dedicated to providing legal assistance to poor and low-income residents unable to pay for private attorneys.
As chief, Bowden-Lewis is responsible for setting budget priorities, establishing divisions to carry out tasks and assuming responsibility for the overall direction of all personnel.
[RELATED: CT’s first Black chief public defender embraces work ahead]
What has happened since her tenure began?
Early in her tenure, Bowden-Lewis grew increasingly vocal about her three-prong vision to improve recruitment and retention to diversify staff, rebrand the division through community engagement and revitalize the agency to ensure workers feel valued.
Then in March 2023, four members of the Public Defender Services Commission, which appoints the chief public defender and has regulatory oversight over the agency, abruptly resigned. Their sudden departure came after Bowden-Lewis’ attorney sent the commission a letter outlining concerns about — and discriminatory implications of — the alleged undermining of her decisions on hiring, management and spending.
An email from the division’s Racial Justice and Cultural Competency Committee had also surfaced, calling on staff to withstand what people saw as racist efforts to undermine Bowden-Lewis and her goals to diversify the agency. The message protested the commission’s decision to bypass Bowden-Lewis’ list of candidates for a public defender job in Derby, which included people of color, in favor of a white woman.
Once the commissioners resigned, new members were appointed. But the tensions never settled.
What are the allegations against her?
Bowden-Lewis faces accusations of unethical and untruthful behavior, bullying people critical of her decisions and unfairly levying claims of racism against her adversaries, all of which were detailed in 16 charges brought forth by the commission.
The charges include claims of “disrespectful” treatment of two division employees — former Human Resources Director Erin Ryan and former Executive Assistant Leonie Campbell — whom the commission believes she treated unfairly because she wanted different people in those positions.
She is also accused of alleged unfair treatment of two senior division attorneys — Deborah Del Prete Sullivan, the agency’s legal counsel, and Joseph Lopez, the division’s director of complex litigation — whose emails she “inappropriately” accessed, along with those of commission chair Richard N. Palmer, allegedly because of their criticism of her.
They accused Bowden-Lewis of dishonesty with the commission, such as promising to post a position to assist Lopez but ultimately not doing so because of her contempt for him.
And the charges highlight her alleged unwillingness to recognize the authority of the commission, which includes the approval of decisions regarding the budget, the establishment of divisions, facilities and offices within the agency, and personnel matters that the chief deems necessary, while the chief is responsible for the overall direction of the division.
How has Bowden-Lewis responded to those allegations?
During the two public hearings, she argued that none of her conduct violated state law, that any activity she engaged in fell under her authority as chief, and that she is deserving of a fair chance to learn from and grow from her mistakes, similar to the opportunities afforded to her predecessors.
But, she said, the commission has undermined her decisions and resisted opportunities to establish a productive working relationship — a consequence of differing interpretations of the Connecticut statute outlining the roles of the commission and the chief.
Bowden-Lewis noted that while an inquiry into allegations of mistreatment, conducted by the law firm Shipman & Goodwin, concluded that she had bullied or marginalized employees who she did not favor, it also determined that none of her conduct amounted to discrimination, harassment or an illegal hostile work environment under state law.
While the commission concluded that Bowden-Lewis had ordered a subordinate to improperly access emails that Palmer said were legally privileged, she emphasized that members of a state agency should not expect privacy when it comes to their emails. She said she asserted her authority as the chief to oversee the email communications between her subordinates and others due to a lack of transparency from people like Sullivan, the legal counsel, regarding the division’s operations.
Additionally, Bowden-Lewis expressed her desire for a fair chance to learn and grow on the job.
What happens next?
The Public Defender Services Commission is expected to announce its decision on the chief public defender’s future in the coming weeks.