Washington State's Office of Equity fired its first director, Dr. Karen Johnson, following allegations of derogatory comments about Mexicans and other people, including white people.
The allegations were uncovered in an investigation by the Washington State Office of Financial Management into Johnson's employment termination in May. Johnson has held the position since May 2021. KING-TV obtained a report of the allegations through a public records request. The report accused Johnson of making unreasonable staff requests and running a disorganized office. Among the accusations was that Johnson made several inappropriate comments about people about race.
During a group discussion, Johnson reportedly said, "This may take some time for me because I generally distrust Mexican people. Mexican people have the option of being white when it is convenient for them." She also accused a white person of "cultural appropriation" because they wore their hair in a braid. Others said she commented on their physical appearance, including allegedly telling one person to wear lipstick and another that they were too fat.
Johnson claims that she was fired because she was pushing for accountability at state agencies about equity. However, Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, responded to KING that her claims had nothing to do with Johnson's firing but that the equity office had problems and budgetary issues. Johnson said she was considering legal action over her firing and denied being prejudiced against any group.
"I believe everyone belongs because everyone is human," said Johnson. When asked about her alleged comments about Mexicans, she denied having any animosity against Mexicans. "That was not my takeaway from the conversation," she added.
The mission statement of the equity office was to "Promote access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce disparities and improve outcomes statewide across state government."
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