Washington County Board Chair Kathryn Harrington gave Commissioner Nafisa Fai the middle finger during a public work session Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The gesture, captured on video and first reported by KGW, triggered an apology from Harrington and political fallout in the race to replace her as chair. The board governs Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills, West Haven-Sylvan and other unincorporated communities across Oregon's second-largest county.

Video of the board's morning session shows Harrington discussing Metro's supportive housing program with Commissioner Jason Snider when she interrupted herself to tell Fai, seated next to Snider, to stop getting in the way of her sightline. Fai appeared to be adjusting her chair.

Watch the full video here

Seconds later, Harrington pushed her chair back, planted her hands on the desk and raised her middle finger toward Fai while the other commissioners were looking away. Fai was the only person facing Harrington.

"Could you pause for a second — did you see the finger? Did anybody (see) that?" Fai asked. No one responded, and Snider continued speaking.

Harrington issued a written apology that afternoon, calling her behavior plainly inappropriate and saying she should not have acted in such a hurtful manner. The statement, provided to KGW, was addressed to Fai, the full board, county staff and the public.

Commissioner Pam Treece, who is running against Fai in a runoff for the open chair seat on Nov. 3, released a public statement saying she was shocked and disappointed after reviewing the video. Treece called on Harrington to apologize to Fai and to all county residents. She said she would return a $10,000 campaign contribution Harrington made in August and remove Harrington's endorsement from her campaign website. The Hillsboro News Times reported that state campaign finance records confirm the donation. Treece said she would work with fellow commissioners to determine what further action is required.

Fai posted a statement to her campaign social media accounts later that day, saying the gesture amounted to disrespecting the people commissioners are elected to serve. She said the incident reinforced her reason for running and that county residents deserve a better standard of leadership in the chair's office.

County spokesman Philip Bransford said in a statement that disciplinary authority over elected officials rests with the board itself. The county administrator does not have the power to pursue disciplinary steps against elected officials, Bransford said.

The incident is not Harrington's first conduct controversy. In March 2026, she publicly apologized after a report alleged she yelled at a county employee, leaving the worker in tears. She said at the time she was stepping back from key duties, including committee work and staff briefings. An earlier outside investigation found she sent a text message to a county official that investigators called unprofessional and inappropriate, though it did not meet the legal threshold for harassment, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Harrington chose not to seek reelection. The chair position oversees the county's $2 billion budget and pays $145,840 a year. Whether the board takes any formal disciplinary action has not been announced.