Allegheny County’s chief public defender says she plans to fight allegations that resulted in her placement on paid administrative leave earlier this month. Lena Bryan-Henderson denied accusations that she made offensive comments to co-workers, adding that even if they were true, they wouldn't be grounds for removal.
“While this process has been incredibly difficult, it has only deepened my commitment to providing the strongest possible advocacy for those who face unjust systems and false allegations,” she wrote in a message shared with supporters and obtained by WESA.
Bryan-Henderson said the county informed her at an April 10 meeting that there were 25 separate claims against her. County officials, whom she did not name, did not say how many people made those claims: Some claims were made anonymously, she said, while in other cases complainant names were not disclosed.
“None of the allegations — even if presumed true, which they are not — justify the decision to place me on administrative leave, nor the manner in which it was carried out,” she said.
Bryan-Henderson was appointed in January 2024 by County Executive Sara Innamorato, weeks after Innamorato took office. She is the first Black woman to serve as the county’s chief public defender.
Innamorato spokesperson Abigail Gardner declined to comment, noting that the county does not discuss personnel matters or ongoing human resources investigations.
Bryan-Henderson “still hasn’t been told what she did wrong,” said her attorney, Joseph J. Pass. According to Pass, county officials have not directly identified the policies she’s accused of violating. To his knowledge, he said, “there haven’t been any grievances against her” up until this point, but he surmised that “someone [in the public defender’s office] doesn’t like her management style.”
Indeed, her text itself — and the accounts of current and former staff in the office who spoke to WESA — suggest there were tensions surrounding her leadership, including questions about her approach to staff and her level of managerial skill and experience.
In her message, Bryan-Henderson said county officials asked if she ever made offensive statements in the office, including that “pregnancy makes women ‘dumber,’” or that Native Americans “don’t have real problems.” She said she was also asked if she has questioned people about their gender at birth.
“The nature of these claims was disheartening — not only because of their content, but because of what they attempt to suggest about my character,” Bryan-Henderson wrote. While she denied having made those remarks, she said the questions she received about them “suggest there are several employees in my office who find it difficult to adjust to a proactive administrator.”
Bryan-Henderson was also asked about her vision for the office and the positive changes she believes she’s made — questions she said are “more appropriate for a job interview than for a disciplinary proceeding.”
“My leadership style was also questioned — a critique that, in many ways, reflects the discomfort some have with being led by a Black woman in a position of authority,” she wrote.
During just over a year in office, Bryan-Henderson said she had expanded representation at arraignments, and organized “Know Your Rights” sessions and expungement clinics. She also touted her partnerships with community organizations such as Casa San Jose.
The group’s executive director, Monica Ruiz, credited Bryan-Henderson for expanding immigrants’ access to public defender services, ensuring that minor criminal cases didn’t negatively impact their immigration status or naturalization process. Public defenders began to refer clients to Casa San Jose for other services, such as rides to court and rent assistance.
“I didn't have this level of collaboration in the past,” Ruiz said. Bryan-Henderson “was a phone call away and, at this point, the public defenders are a phone call away, which is really great.”
Pass, Bryan-Henderson’s attorney, said he is awaiting communication from the county. The investigation is expected to wrap up in the coming weeks, if not days.
