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Washington State‘s first equity director has been fired after an investigation found she made racist comments towards Hispanic colleagues and even fat-shamed one employee.
Karen Johnson, the first director of the state’s Office of Equity, was terminated from her position on May 17 after an independent investigation revealed several of her employees had complained about her ‘biased and insensitive conduct.’
One Mexican employee told investigators how Johnson once said she had a ‘distrust of Mexican people,’ while another said the director attacked her for her weight.
Johnson has denied these allegations, and is said to be considering bringing a wrongful termination suit against the State.
But when asked about his decision to fire Johnson, Gov. Jay Inslee told KING 5 News the office ‘required leadership to be able to manage the agency appropriately’ and ‘we needed some more leadership there.’
Karen Johnson, Washington’s first equity director, was fired from her position on May 17
She has been succeeded in her position by Megan Matthews, who is serving as the acting director.
As MFR Law Group PLLC investigated Johnson’s helm at the newly-formed Office of Equity, it uncovered reports from staffers who claimed Johnson was racist against Hispanics.
In one instance, she allegedly told a Mexican employee: ‘This may take some time for me because I generally distrust Mexican people.’
She then allegedly said, ‘Mexican people have the option of being white when it’s convenient for them,’ according to documents obtained by KING 5 News.
Another employee also said Johnson had an ‘us versus them’ mentality when it came to her Hispanic co-workers, often calling them out for not having ‘lived experiences’ of racism.
Her management style was also brought up in interviews with the investigators, which found that she micromanaged staff, was disorganized and lacked adequate structure and processes and made unreasonable requests.
One employee told investigators Johnson once proclaimed she ‘rules with brass knuckles and a velvet glove,’ which the staffer argued was a ‘metaphor associated with white supremacy because of its violence.’
And others said she would stereotype on the basis of race and gender, with one white female employee claiming Johnson once told her not to braid her hair because it was ‘cultural appropriation.’
Another said Johnson attacked them because of their weight, asking her: ‘You want to be married and have a family, didn’t you? If so, you have to take care of yourself.’
The investigation also found that the Office of Equity had an overall attrition rate of 29 percent since it was created.
Five employees resigned between 2022 and 2023, and all of them cited Johnson’s ‘chaotic, overburdened and disrespectful workplace culture.’
She has denied being biased toward any of her employees, and told KING 5 News she remembered some of those conversations differently.
Former employees of the newly-founded Office of Equity claimed to investigators that Johnson (pictured) would make racist and otherwise ‘insensitive’ remarks to her staffers
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told KING 5 News the office lacked leadership under Johnson
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But after speaking with these employees about their experiences, KTTH reported, investigators also met with Johnson, during which she allegedly complained that ‘the staff she was given did not have the skill set needed to operate with emotional maturity.’
She also allegedly claimed they were ‘passive aggressive’ and withheld information from her.
Johnson then allegedly declined to do a follow-up interview, saying it was ‘non-negotiable’ and she would not participate in ‘triangulating behavior’ where she cannot work through conflict directly with employees.
Eventually, KING 5 reports, she was given the option to either resign or be terminated — and chose termination.
Speaking of the decision, Inslee said: ‘We’ve had some concerns at the agency about not being able to fill the positions. We’ve had some concerns about not being able to use the budget.
He added that the office ‘required leadership to be able to manage the agency appropriately and we need some more leadership there.’
Still, he said, ‘We appreciate her getting the agency started.’
Inslee had signed legislation creating the office in April 2020 and named Johnson the director the following year
Inslee had signed legislation creating the office in April 2020 to work with other state agencies to increase access to ‘equitable opportunities in order to bridge opportunity gaps and reduce disparities’ as well as develop a five-year equity plan.
He announced that Johnson would helm the new office a year later, praising her work as the equity and inclusion administrator for the state Department of Corrections.
She had previously worked for the US Department of Veterans Affairs serving in roles ranging from regional equal employment opportunity manager to chief administrative officer of the James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center, and served as the director for Tri-Love Ministries in Seattle.
In that position, she worked to ensure equitable access to resources and services for black children and their families.
‘Karen brings extensive experience working to transform local and state government systems to more equitably serve Washingtonians,’ Inslee said in a statement at the time.
‘She has oriented her entire career around helping disadvantaged communities and institutional change for generations to come,’ he noted, adding, ‘I have every confidence that she will be an excellent, effective director.’
A few months later, she told KING 5 News: ‘No black person in their right mind… wants to be leading this kind of work, while convincing white people they want to do something they have no intention of doing.’
But looking back, she called her tenure as director ‘the time of my life.
‘I received many emails from staff across the state who said, “Thanks to you Dr. J, I know who I am. I found my voice and I’m using it.”
‘That’s what I’m most proud of.’
She also wrote on social media: ‘I am absolutely blessed that I got this job, and I stand by the community that I was trying to help in my tenure at the Office of Equity.
‘I would hope that [Inslee] continues to provide employees across the state with the opportunities that they deserve and continue the work of accountability to make everyone’s lives better.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
