The first person to hold the position of director of Washington State’s “Office of Equity” has been fired after making derogatory comments about Mexicans, among other shocking statements.
Dr. Karen Johnson had been serving as equity director since May 2021, until an investigation from the Washington State Office of Financial Management uncovered several inappropriate comments — leading her to be terminated in early May of this year.
NEW: I’m told that the Director for the Washington State Office of Equity, Dr Karen Johnson (she/her/Beloved), is out effective immediately. I’ve reached out to the Governor’s office to ask why. pic.twitter.com/GvXKNH01HT
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) May 20, 2023
Local news outlet KING-TV obtained a report of the allegations via a public records request, which detailed several accusations against Johnson — including making unreasonable requests of her staff, running a disorganized office, and making racist comments.
“This may take some time for me because I generally distrust Mexican people,” Johnson allegedly admitted during a group discussion. “Mexican people have the option of being white when it is convenient for them.”
The former equity director also accused a White person of “cultural appropriation” just for styling their hair in a braid.
That wasn’t the only inappropriate comment that Johnson allegedly made about someone’s physical appearance, as other staffers have reported that she told one person they needed to wear lipstick and told another they were too fat.
Meanwhile, Johnson claims that she was terminated for pushing for equity-related accountability at state agencies — and has noted that she is considering taking legal action. She has denied being prejudiced against any group, responding to questions on her comments about Mexicans by claiming that she has no animosity towards them.
“That was not my takeaway from the conversation,” she added.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) provided a statement to KING-TV about Johnson’s firing, noting that her claims about the reasons behind her firing were false while pointing out that the equity office had a multitude of problems including budgetary issues.
The mission statement of Washington’s “Office of Equity” is to “promote access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce disparities and improve outcomes statewide across state government.”
It’s not shocking that Johnson was fired for racist comments, as she was previously caught on video asserting that time management skills are important for White people, not Black people. In the video, she is heard claiming that White people care about “agendas and to-do lists and tasks” — while, to “people of color, maybe it matters, maybe it doesn’t.”
When I say that the goal of Critical Race Theory is to move the United States in the direction of South Africa, I mean that literally. It's an aspirational goal. Here's receipts from Inslee's Equity Task Force in Washington last year. Courtesy of @BenjaminABoyce. pic.twitter.com/LQy5gWuP2v
— James Lindsay, 400 (@ConceptualJames) February 17, 2021
