In a special session of the Cass County Board of Commissioners on Friday, the board voted to place Cass County Administrator Patrick Jordan on paid administrative leave during an internal investigation regarding alleged derogatory language used in the workplace, which officials stated would be a violation of the county’s written policies.

Only one commissioner, Rosanne Marchetti, voted against the administrator’s suspension.

Administrator Jordan made public comments to the commission following the vote to place him on leave, admitting to making remarks related to Muslims and homosexuals.

“This has been kind of a wakeup call to me… I come from a different generation where I guess you can joke about things that aren’t accepted anymore,” said Jordan.

Jordan went on to describe the remarks he made against both Muslims and homosexuals, but also referencing Scripture.

“God’s word says, do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And I have completely failed to do that, not just here, but over the course of my life,” said Jordan.

County Treasurer Hope Anderson was among several who spoke following the county board’s action to suspend Jordan. She said it’s critical to protect the integrity of the workplace and hold leadership to the same standards expected of all employees.

“The remarks were homophobic and religiously insensitive. They were made during an official county staff meeting in front of multiple witnesses. This goes beyond a poor choice of words. This was targeted, demeaning, and unprofessional, especially coming from a senior county leader,” said Anderson.

Following Jordan’s suspension, the board then voted to appoint the county’s Finance Director, Jennifer Rentfrow as interim administrator during the investigation.  The vote to appoint Rentfrow was five to three.

You can see the hearing on the county’s YouTube channel (linked below).