Connecticut’s First Black Woman Chief Public Defender Placed On Leave Following Commission Disagreement 

TaShun Bowden-Lewis, the first Black woman to serve as the Chief Public Defender in Connecticut, has been placed on administrative leave.

Bowden-Lewis was suspended on Feb. 9 after months of intense disagreements with the commission that oversees the state’s public defender services.

In a letter, Commission Chairman Richard N. Palmer says her suspension stems from an “investigation by the commission into certain behavior that, if confirmed, could be grounds for disciplinary action.”

“The commission will complete the investigation as soon as reasonably possible, and, upon the conclusion of the investigation, which may involve allegations in addition to those identified in this letter, the chief public defender will have an opportunity to address the allegations investigated by the commission,” Palmer wrote.

Bowden-Lewis’ suspension coincided with a “no confidence” in her leadership vote behind closed doors handed down by a public defender union. She was cited for a “perpetual state of controversy and dysfunction” in the division of the state Judicial Branch.

Prior to the announcement of her suspicion, the chief public defender was issued a letter accusing her of having access to state email accounts of two senior division attorneys – Deborah Del Prete Sullivan, the agency’s legal counsel, and Joseph Lopez, the divisional director of complex litigation – without cause. Due to this access, Bowden-Lewis was accused of retaliating against them for their open criticism, disagreeing and cooperating with the commission.  

The validity of how she ran her office was also in question. Bowden-Lewis faced allegations of placing another employee on administrative leave for “no valid reason” and also issuing a letter reprimanding an employee for “no valid reason and in retaliation against that employee for disagreeing with you and cooperating with the Commission.”

During her suspicion, the appointed official is to have no contact with any clients or staff. She is also banned from all division facilities or offices unless instructed otherwise. Disciplinary action towards Bowder-Lewis is a major stepback following her historic appointment in 2022. However, her appointment has been met with scrutiny. 

According to WFSB, in 2023, Director of Complex Litigation Joseph Lopez issued a letter calling her behavior “inappropriate and unacceptable,” as well as her leadership producing “low morale and dissatisfaction” that ultimately affected the division. In addition, she failed to fill 17 open positions.

Lopez wrote whenever these issues were brought to her attention, Bowden-Lewis would often use allegations of racial discrimination as a defense.