KGMI News
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington Department of Labor and Industries is being questioned for the reasons used to determine the amount of fines levied on a local farm.
The Capital Press reports agency documents show publicity around a worker’s death was a motivator for a record penalty of nearly $150,000 after Sarbanand Farms in Sumas was cited for late meal times and missed breaks last July.
In justifying a fine 30 times the amount initially recommended by a department manager, a department memo said “this is a high-profile case with much publicity.”
L & I investigated Sarbanand Farms relating to the death of farm worker Honesto Silva Ibarra last summer.
A medical examiner later determined that Silva Ibarra died of natural causes, unrelated to occupational issues, and L & I subsequently held Sarbanand farms harmless in his death.
A file containing an L & I public records request response related to this case can be found here: Sarbanand Redacted