SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. —
The Spokane NAACP along with the Tenants' Union of Eastern Washington, Peace and Justice Action League, Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane, Muslims for Community Action and Support and other local organizations and leaders signed off on a letter to county commissioners.
The letter explains the process of selecting a new racial equity committee chair lacked intentional, public engagement and discussion.
The letter also calls out the county's decision-making process for being inherently "racist or potentially tokenizing."
NAACP president Kurtis Robinson said he's felt repeatedly disregarded by county leadership.
“This speaks to that as the letter does, that larger pattern of just dismissiveness when it comes to the lived experience experts that have been doing the work, boots on the ground with the communities impacted here that this appointment is supposed to address the disparities in engagements,” Robinson explained.
The chair reports to the Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council and leads efforts to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Robinson said more could, and should, have been done before making a final chair selection.
“What we’re looking for in this is to have the county commissioners do an authentic reaching in to the communities that pull us in to deal with the problems we’re having that they say they have to deal with,” Robinson said.
The county appointed Jennifer Morton, a black woman serving on the Airway Heights city council, to the position.
Per a county online application, there are no explicit requirements, but states the applicant should be knowledgeable of regional criminal justice systems, able to be active on the SRLJC and committee and be a Spokane County resident.
Morton said in a letter to the county, "I am enthusiastic about the council's goal to create a cost-effective regional criminal justice system that aligns with community objectives of public safety, accountability, just punishment, appropriate treatment, and reduced recidivism. These objectives resonate with me deeply, and I am eager to contribute to their realization."
Robinson said he gives Morton credit for her administrative accolades, but sees a problem in not knowing her outside of her online presence.
"Where was the community engaged in talking with this person?," Robinson asked. "Where was this person in community forums hearing about what our concerns were? Where was there an open, public engagement about what the data of segregation of the harmful effects of the system she's supposed to chair?"
Dr. Shari Clarke, executive director of the Carl Maxey center, who also supported and signed the letter told KREM2 she agreed the decision-making process is flawed.
"I am deeply concerned about the process and the need to ensure a pool of candidates for the position. I don't want to lose sight of the why this position is so important to the community," Dr. Clarke shared in a statement.
KREM 2 reached out to Morton for response on the concerns around her appointment, but did not hear back.
County communications director Pat Bell told KREM 2 the position has been vacant since 2022. Bell said the process includes applicant review by a selection committee and then candidates are forwarded to commissioners for potential appointment.
Bell directed KREM 2 to use sound from Wednesday’s commissioner meeting to support our reporting.
During the meeting, commissioner Mary Kuney, Josh Kerns and Al French, supported the decision to appoint Morton.
In addition, Commissioner Kerns responded directly to the letter.
“There’s been some publicity around a letter that was quite frankly not helpful and was quite unproductive in this process,” Commissioner Kerns said.
Robinson’s ask for more time to consider was shared by both commissioners Chris Jordan and Amber Waldref.
Commissioner Jordan said he hoped for more time to speak with more county staff and local civil rights organizations. Commissioner Waldref said she was made aware of two candidates, but only spoke to Morton. She asked for one-month deferment for time to hear from the other candidate.
Despite this, the board of commissioners ended the discussion by appointing Jennifer Morton as chair in a 3 to 2 vote.
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