Washington state's first equity director is fired after 'fat-shaming colleagues ... trends now
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 employee, who self-identifies as Mexican, recounted to investigators how Johnson once told them she had a 'distrust of Mexican people,' while another said Johnson 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.'
She has been succeeded in her position by Megan Matthews, who is serving as the acting director.
Karen Johnson, Washington's first equity director, was fired from her position on May 17
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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
