Napa Valley tourism executive Linsey Gallagher is accused of creating a 'culture of fear' in explosive letter

Napa Valley's tourism main is astatine warfare pinch her ain unit who person accused her of fostering a 'pervasive civilization of fear' astatine nan bosom of America's vino industry.

Linsey Gallagher was cleared by a 'neutral' investigation earlier this twelvemonth aft claims emerged she made 'disparaging and demeaning remarks' to labor and misallocated nationalist costs astatine Visit Napa Valley.

She reportedly utilized phrases specified as: 'I'm nan only logic you person this occupation successful nan first place,' and 'it's not for illustration you were groped aliases sexually assaulted.' 

Now 10 anonymous staffers person written an anonymous missive seen by nan SF Chronicle, claiming that nan investigation was 'gravely mishandled' and that Gallagher singled them retired for retribution aft she was cleared.

Gallagher was appointed president and CEO of nan tourer bureau successful 2019, overseeing a $2.2 cardinal manufacture that brings astir 4 cardinal group a twelvemonth to nan Californian county. 

In a 2022 question and reply she advised young women successful her manufacture to 'work hard, beryllium nice, person courageousness to locomotion done nan doors that unfastened for you, find domiciled models on nan way'.

'I person reached nan shape successful my profession wherever nurturing, mentoring, processing and supporting others is nan priority,' she said.

But nan organization's executive committee launched a probe successful May aft 5 existent and 2 erstwhile labor accused her of being drunk connected power.

Three different staffers added their names to nan title and chairwoman Emma Swain insisted nan committee 'took nan claims seriously' earlier commissioning a 'neutral 3rd party' to investigate.

It recovered 'no grounds that successful immoderate measurement supports nan workplace bullying aliases financial impropriety allegations', but nan staffers declare nan probe was botched and that their complaints were 'inadequately addressed'.

Earlier this week they sent a four-page missive to nan board, copying successful nan Napa Valley Tourism Corporation and nan SF Chronicle.

It repeated nan allegations of maltreatment and accused Gallagher of a 'pattern of deception' successful her handling of nationalist costs from Napa County's Tourism Improvement District.

It besides claims that Gallagher kept unit and committee members 'in nan dark' astir spending decisions, 'manipulates narratives' and 'provides mendacious information'.

The missive alleged that astir 40 labor person discontinue aliases been fired since she was appointed, and that 3 resigned erstwhile she was cleared by nan inquiry, pinch others now 'actively seeking replacement occupation opportunities'.

Swain dismissed nan claims of financial allegations arsenic 'categorically false', insisting that each bosses were subjected to an extended audit to reviews their expenditures past year.

'The financial allegations were made aft nan yearly audit was completed, and nan independent interrogator has confirmed nary grounds of wrongdoing,' she told nan Chronical.

And she said that 28 of nan occupation losses were owed to cuts that were forced connected nan statement by nan effects of nan Covid-19 pandemic.

The complainants are refusing to fto nan matter dishonesty but Swain said she would not respond to them unless they spell connected nan record.

'We are not going to person a chat of unit matters pinch an anonymous party,' she added.

'We person addressed each these issues by providing each worker complainant pinch a elaborate summary of nan investigator's findings successful summation to an opportunity to meet pinch a committee personnel to discuss.

'Only a fewer of nan labor took america up connected nan opportunity.'

Dailymail.com has reached retired to Gallagher for comment.