First steps

In an interview outside the House chamber on the last day of the 2019 Montana Legislature, Brown told the Missoulian he was a carpenter before he began a job at Spring Creek Lodge in Thompson Falls, where he worked with special needs residents and led labor projects. In his four years at Spring Creek, which ended in 2004, he was also a daytime supervisor.

He called Chaffin Pullan, former Spring Creek Lodge director and most recently a supervisor at Reflections Academy, also in Thompson Falls, a "good friend," and said he never saw any actions that pointed toward predatory behavior.

"It kind of blows me away I guess," he said of the allegations against Pullan. "But, like I said, it's human behavior and people get caught up in things and do stupid mistakes. I certainly didn't know of anything like that."

Brown floated the idea that perhaps the program owners should stay involved in an advisory board capacity to make recommendations to the DPHHS.

"I just thought, well, maybe the (oversight board) is not a bad thing, maybe it's just in the wrong spot right now," he said.