White Bird wins court order, accuses new group of stealing confidential files

A Lane County Circuit Court judge on Thursday granted White Bird Clinic a temporary restraining order after the clinic accused a former staffer and a newly formed nonprofit of improperly taking confidential files and trading on the CAHOOTS name. The complaint filed by White Bird on Tuesday alleges that Alese "Dandy" Colehour downloaded voluminous confidential materials to a personal device minutes before submitting a resignation earlier this month, and that the materials were likely used to benefit Willamette Valley Crisis Care.

Judge Michelle Bassi issued the order on November 20, 2025, blocking Colehour and Willamette Valley Crisis Care from using or disclosing any White Bird information and from suggesting any affiliation with the CAHOOTS trademark. The defendants are scheduled to appear in Lane County Circuit Court on November 26 for a preliminary injunction hearing that will determine whether the order should be extended while the litigation proceeds.

White Bird says the files taken on November 7 included patient and client health information, training manuals, job descriptions, board meeting minutes, and trademark and copyright protected material. The clinic alleges Colehour had signed confidentiality and employment agreements that prohibited access beyond job need and required the return of materials upon departure. The complaint asserts claims for misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion of property, and breach of contract, and argues that use of the CAHOOTS mark by Willamette Valley Crisis Care is likely to cause public confusion and inflict incalculable and irreparable damage to White Bird's reputation and goodwill.

Willamette Valley Crisis Care was formed in May 2025 by current and former White Bird employees after White Bird ended CAHOOTS operations in Eugene in April. White Bird continues to operate CAHOOTS in Springfield under a separate contract. WVCC says it was organized to restore a community responder crisis service in Eugene and that it has its own nonprofit status, logo, and board.

WVCC Operations Director Michelle Perin told Lookout that all parties met at the courthouse and agreed to an "immediate remedy" to complaints referencing Colehour. Perin also said, "None of the information referenced, including 'trade secrets,' was accessed by or shared with any member of WVCC," and she said WVCC learned of White Bird's lawsuit on Wednesday evening and met with the clinic's lawyers after an ex parte hearing.

The dispute unfolds as the city prepares to solicit proposals for a new crisis response contract in Eugene, a process Willamette Valley Crisis Care plans to join. The litigation and the restraining order create uncertainty for procurement and for residents seeking continuity in nonpolice crisis response, especially as CAHOOTS has been operating in Eugene since 1989 and gained national recognition.

White Bird is seeking the return of files, injunctions to stop use or sharing of information, damages to be determined at trial, attorney fees, punitive damages, and a court order barring WVCC from using the CAHOOTS trademark. A former CAHOOTS employee told Lookout that many documents were on a shared drive accessible to all staff and that there was no indication they were confidential. White Bird also recently settled a separate claim with a former worker who had alleged retaliation for reporting a coworker. The November 26 hearing will be the next public step in resolving who may lawfully operate under the recognized CAHOOTS name and how Eugene will structure crisis response going forward.