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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he is concerned about the allegations against former Utah Farm Bureau President Ron Gibson, who was recently arrested for investigation of assault following allegations that he failed to pay a number of workers on his farm.
Cox expressed that concern during his monthly PBS news conference after a reporter asked what the state is doing to protect Utah farm workers, the majority of whom are Hispanic. A 2015 study also estimated that 31% are undocumented immigrants, a status that can leave them vulnerable to wage theft and other abuse.
Cox said a video that shows Gibson becoming agitated with a group of Hispanic workers who confronted him about unpaid wages and possibly striking one of them is "very troubling." The Weber County farmer has since resigned from his position with the Utah Farm Bureau and is under investigation for human trafficking by the Utah Department of Public Safety's State Bureau of Investigation.
"(I'm) obviously very concerned about the allegations that we've seen. There's always a presumption of innocence, and we will allow that legal proceeding to take place," Cox said. "We will be continuing those investigations and if there is criminal wrongdoing, we'll make sure that the people responsible are held accountable."
Gibson was arrested after an employee at his farm called 911 and stated Gibson had assaulted him. The man told police he and several coworkers had not received their last four paychecks from Gibson.
Following a verbal argument, Gibson told the employee to "shut up" in Spanish and then slapped him across the face, according to a police booking affidavit. The employee's mouth was bleeding and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
"I sincerely hope that we treat everyone with the dignity and respect that they deserve — and that includes especially those who are here (who) are migrant workers who come here and work here and are so important in our agriculture industry," Cox said. "It is critical that they get paid, that they get paid on time, that they get paid what they're promised to get paid and that they are again treated with dignity and respect. So when there are allegations that is not happening, we take that very seriously. I don't care what their background is."
