WOMAN FIRED OVER MARIJUANA FIGHTS TO REGAIN JOB

HILLSBORO -- A former Washington County employee who was fired after police
found marijuana growing in her vegetable garden is fighting to be rehired.

Alicia Williamson, 47, who says she grows marijuana for medicinal use,
appealed Thursday to the county's civil service commission. She hopes to
return to work in the information technology services department.

County officials, who fired Williamson in February, contend that she
knowingly committed illegal acts and later lied about it. They said
Williamson can no longer be trusted with confidential information --
particularly databases from the district attorney and sheriff's offices --
that she could potentially access from county computers.

The hearing, which continues today, could run through Monday.

On a tip, police searched Williamson's Gaston home in August, 2002, and
found 13 marijuana plants, 11 gallon-sized bags of marijuana shake and some
seeds. A grand jury indicted Williamson in December on felony counts of
unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a
controlled substance and delivery of marijuana.

A criminal trial is scheduled for December.

The appeal comes on the heels of a recent ruling that found Washington
County was wrong to fire a sheriff's deputy for using illegal drugs before
he was convicted. After four years of court wrangling, the Oregon Court of
Appeals in May ruled the county committed an unfair labor practice when it
refused to reinstate Paul Cuff, who was fired for smoking marijuana while
he was off duty and for lying about it.

At Thursday's hearing, Sheryl Hayashida, senior assistant county counsel,
said the county would be hard-pressed to find a computer job at which
Williamson wouldn't be a risk.

"This is about trust and confidence in our workers and in the places they
work," Hayashida said.

Williamson, who moved to Oregon in 1997, said she suffered back and hip
injuries from several bad falls in the late 1970s as she trained for
high-level horse competitions. The injuries led to migraines, nausea and
blurred vision, which Williamson said she treated with marijuana.

Williamson qualified for California's medical marijuana program in 1996.
But she did not apply for Oregon's medical marijuana program when it began
in 2001.

"I grow such a small amount, I was more fearful of drawing attention to
myself," said Williamson, who grows her plants among berry vines and in her
garden.

In August 2002, members of the Westside Interagency Narcotics team were
tipped that marijuana plants were spotted by someone flying over
Williamson's home. Police said they found about seven pounds of marijuana
-- an amount exceeding personal use, Washington County sheriff's Detective
Michael Womer told the civil service board.

Williamson said she grows the plants during the summer, harvesting enough
buds for the rest of the year. Since the search, Williamson has received
the $150 Oregon Medical Marijuana identification card. State law allows
members to grow three mature marijuana plants, four immature plants and an
ounce of usable marijuana from each mature plant.

Williamson, who has worked for the county since 1998, served most recently
as a management analyst, setting up new computer equipment, helping with
training and managing passwords for the county data center.

"We need to trust our staff in order to support systems as they have access
to some very secure information," said Ken Sigesmund, chief information
systems officer and Williamson's boss. "If and when you lose that trust, it
creates a problem. An employee becomes a liability rather than an asset."

After talking with officials from the district attorney's, sheriff's and
administrative offices, Sigesmund said he understood Williamson's presence
worried his colleagues. He also said he thought Williamson lied, telling
police she shared the marijuana with a friend, gave it to chemotherapy
patients and traded it for work on her home. Later, he said, Williamson
told him that her marijuana was only for personal use.

Williamson disputed police reports that she gave the marijuana to others.

"I'm appealing this because I want my job back. I enjoyed my job, and I was
good at my job," Williamson said. "This isn't about rage, it's just that
something stinks here. I just don't think this is right."