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A Washington state board member was shouted down May 3 after saying she did not want a sex offender joining their committee.
During an online meeting presided over by Shanee Colston, cochair of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority Continuum of Care Advisory Committee, votes were taken to approve possible members, the New York Post reported Thursday.
One of the candidates was Thomas Whitaker-Raven Crowfoot, and board member Kristina Sawyckyj, who is a victim of sexual assault, shared concern about the possibility of him joining the group.
“We have a code of ethics on this board and Thomas Whitaker-Raven Crowfoot is a sex offender — repeat sex offender — and I have had bad experience with him,” the military veteran explained.
However, Colston did not back down and defended the man. She appeared to try and cover up his past, saying, “We’re not here to discover people’s backgrounds.”
She added, “And I’m actually glad that is the case that he’s here because sex offenders are another population that is most vulnerable that don’t have housing. People do change.”
Video footage records the tense moments between the individuals during the meeting:
What seems to be a profile about Colston appears on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation website. It describes her as a Behavioral Health Case Manager who “looks after her clients’ best interests and inspires hope in those who have none.”
“Shanee chooses to work with the most marginalized, vulnerable and underserved single men and women 18 and older in King County,” the profile reads.
According to the Post, Whitaker was previously convicted on separate occasions of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, harboring a 13-year-old with whom he was in a sexual relationship, and he was also charged with raping a minor.
During the meeting, Sawyckyj claimed the man touched her and told the others she would not be able to attend meetings in the future if he was among them.
However, Colston kept trying to silence her, saying, “If anyone wants to talk like that, you will be muted and removed from this meeting, board member or public or not.”
“This is about equity and everyone, everyone deserves housing. I don’t care if they’re a sex offender, I don’t care if they’re black, I don’t care if they’re indigenous, I don’t care if they’re a criminal, I don’t care if they’re coming out of jail, prison, everyone deserves housing,” she shouted.
Social media users commented on the Post‘s story, one individual writing, “A politician in Washington state is a pedophile sympathizer? No, that can’t be.”
“Idiocy continues to reign supreme in Washington State. People are getting exactly what they voted for over and over again,” another replied.
Colston has reportedly been asked to step down from her position following the heated conversation.
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