Editor’s Note: There is a Washington County Commissioners’ Meeting today, during which the Commissioners are trying to strip away all DEI policies on the books, which will be wiped out. Period. This has come as a sudden surprise, and those invested are only now discovering it and contacting our staff. The meeting information is available here, and the matter is addressed at the end of the meeting, under Item G-3, which is buried at the end of a long agenda.
I am watching this unfold, and it appears the Agenda has been altered to extend the decision for a few days. Thanks to Commissioner Nafisa Fai–
Get involved, folks: https://washingtoncounty.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=12897
The YouTube channel is broadcasting today’s work session live –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKLWIK-2aY
Editors Update #2- 6/18/25 – Commissioner Nafisa Fai sent in an email to the Herald with a letter attached. Before the vote was to take place, she sent a letter to her fellow Commissioners pleading for a No Vote or a new Resolution. The events of June 17, 2025, changed as the Commissioners’ meeting started without public knowledge. Her letter halted the Vote and created space for a new Resolution, which had a better outcome. While the Herald is uncertain as to which Commissioner pushed for the vote yesterday on a rushed and ill-prepared Resolution, we do know that Commissioner Fai was the reason that our County and all its citizens will now have a better outcome. Difficult times call for adults and leaders. She has proved that she is both and can be trusted as we move ahead. Here is that letter:
Washington County Commissioners Quietly Move to Dismantle Equity Policy Amid Federal Funding Threat
By Dirk Knudsen | The Hillsboro Herald
June 17, 2025
In a move catching many off guard, the Washington County Board of Commissioners is set to vote today (Commissioner Nafisa Fai got the Vote delayed) on a resolution that would officially repeal all of its major Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, including its 2020 DEI resolution and the county’s 2024–2028 Strategic Plan. Agenda Item – Board of Commissioners – Pdf
The resolution, quietly added to the agenda late Friday, is being justified by commissioners as a necessary step to preserve up to $136 million in federal funding — funding that reportedly supports critical housing and social service programs.
But insiders familiar with the situation tell the Herald that the claim of imminent financial loss may be exaggerated or politically motivated. Some officials within local government and advisory circles have said they were blindsided by the sudden urgency and questioned why no public vetting occurred.
❗ What the Resolution Actually Does
- Rescinds Resolution No. 20-30, the County’s landmark 2020 DEI declaration.
- Eliminates the 2024–2028 Strategic Plan that incorporated DEI goals across County services.
- Reaffirms commitment to civil rights compliance, but strictly within federal and state law.
- Directs the County Administrator to:
- Redirect DEI-related policies and boards to focus on legal compliance.
- Develop and present an implementation plan by July 8, 2025.
- Take all necessary steps to align policy with civil rights law.
🚨 Sudden Shift Raises Alarm
According to Herald sources familiar with internal deliberations, two commissioners have cited recent executive orders from the Trump administration as justification, warning that non-compliance could cost the county over $130 million in federal support, particularly in housing vouchers.
However, no formal federal directive has been shown to back that claim. Multiple organizations have contacted legislators and policy experts to verify the threat, but no documentation has surfaced to date.
One government insider said, “There is significant concern that this action is based more on political pressure than legal necessity.”
Members of advisory groups, such as ACRE (Advisory Council on Racial Equity), were reportedly not informed or consulted prior to the resolution being scheduled. A planned ACRE retreat was abruptly preempted by a last-minute informational meeting just 24 hours before the vote.
📈 Background: What Was Resolution 20-30?
In 2020, Resolution 20-30 marked a bold step for Washington County. It acknowledged historical injustices and pledged structural reform through:
- Internal DEI training and audits
- Creation of ACRE and other advisory bodies
- Embedding equity across budgeting, planning, and service delivery
Now, that policy is on the verge of being erased without public review.
🧠 Legal Risk or Political Retreat?
Legal experts across the U.S. have noted that Trump-era executive orders targeting DEI have often been blocked or struck down in court. Yet Washington County appears to be acting as if a compliance deadline is looming — without producing any legal documentation or risk analysis.
The vote is scheduled for tonight, June 17, 2025. A large public turnout is expected as advocates rally to demand transparency and accountability.
⛓ Sidebar: What “Insider Sources” Means
For this report, The Hillsboro Herald relied on verified internal communications, policy briefings, and firsthand knowledge from:
- County advisory board members
- Political and community leaders
- Legislative and legal experts
Names have been withheld to protect sources from professional retaliation. All facts were cross-referenced for accuracy.
Have information or documents? Contact the Herald at dirkknudsen@gmail.com.
GET TO THE MEETING and Look for Updates throughout the day as we find out about them.
Update- 6-17-25 5PM-
The Herald reached out to Washington County for a response on why this Resolution was rushed into action. Our questions were sent in this AM prior to our Story breaking. This response was just sent in right before 5 PM and we share that with you now:
“The Washington County Board of Commissioners is exploring actions to ensure compliance with both federal and state laws that apply to the county’s use of more than $130 million dollars in federal funds.
With this goal in mind, the board continues to consider options and their impacts.
Examples of these federal grant funds include:
- $5 million for the Continuum of Care program provided through the Washington County Department of Housing Services: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/housing/homeless-funding
- $54 million in Housing Choice Vouchers and $1.6 million in public housing subsidies: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/housing/housing-choice-vouchers
- $3.6 million in Community Development HUD Funding – Community Development Block Grant, HOME and ESG: https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/commdev/cdbg-block-grant )
Because the process is still being developed, we have no further comments at this time.
Grady Wheeler · he/him
PUBLIC AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Washington County Administrative Office
That said, one of the County Commissioners pushed the Resolution listed above to a Vote today with no community input. Commissioner Nafisa Fa stopped that Vote, and the matter has been extended for now. This appears to be a power play by one or more of the five seated Commissioner,s and the Herald is confirming this with others who are advising us.
DEI is meant to demonize whites and everyone knows it.
While many of our colleges were started by WHITE MEN, the current citizens just think those men were idolized. No, actually some of them were BUSINESSMEN who gave of their own money.
Geologists even made a website in which they showed how many colleges and universities began and which men gave of their fortunes.
I was raised in Oregon and a minority, but there were hardly any special programs for “people of color” and we did just fine. My brother got a Master’s and me and my sister both went to college. I got a Bachelor’s.
WHAT is wrong with Democrats, anyway? When you constantly act as though people are incapable, they begin to think they are.
My parents never treated us like we were braindead. In fact, my mother did not teach us to read or constantly tell us to go to the library. I did those things on my own.
IQ of 120 in first grade and by third grade all scores were qualifying as sixth grade level work.
My minority uncle became a CEO of a major corporation in the Silicon Valley.
Taxpayers should not have to pay for DEI.
1. “DEI is meant to demonize whites and everyone knows it.” It’s meant to offset the effects of systemic discrimination that, for generations, demonized everyone who wasn’t white (or male, or heterosexual) and kept them out of the workforce and educational institutions and, even with initial restorative measures, limited representation to a fraction of their place within the population.
2. “While many of our colleges were started by WHITE MEN, the current citizens just think those men were idolized. No, actually some of them were BUSINESSMEN who gave of their own money.” How did they make their money? Who did they open those institutions for? How much did the namesakes of Baylor, Clemson, Furman, Rutgers, and Yale pay their employees? Who were “the current citizens” and what documentation at the time drew that distinction?
3. “Geologists even made a website in which they showed how many colleges and universities began and which men gave of their fortunes.” It’s an interesting area for geologists to dig into, but you only have to go down topsoil-deep before you realize that maybe those rich folks didn’t have everyone in mind when building those institutions.
4. “I was raised in Oregon and a minority, but there were hardly any special programs for ‘people of color’ and we did just fine. My brother got a Master’s and me and my sister both went to college. I got a Bachelor’s.” Hooray. However, a lot of people don’t get that same opportunity and have benefitted from the programs you and your brother didn’t seem to need.
5. “WHAT is wrong with Democrats, anyway? When you constantly act as though people are incapable, they begin to think they are.” Democrats believe there are people in the world. other than yourself and your family and that their struggles aren’t mitigated by your success.
6. “My parents never treated us like we were braindead. In fact, my mother did not teach us to read or constantly tell us to go to the library. I did those things on my own.” Again, other people have different experiences and not everyone is an autodidact.
7. “IQ of 120 in first grade and by third grade all scores were qualifying as sixth grade level work.
My minority uncle became a CEO of a major corporation in the Silicon Valley.” Well, thank you for differentiating exactly which uncle became a tech CEO, but you’d think that someone of your immense intellect would have a better grasp of the world beyond their fingertips. “I didn’t need any help” is a commendable assertion, but not a catch-all excuse for not helping those who clearly benefit from it.
8. “Taxpayers should not have to pay for DEI.” Taxpayers funded the various discriminatory practices that led to the underrepresentation of particular classes of people in U.S. schools, workforces, and housing. It isn’t a lot to ask that they fund the programs that make it right.
This letter, with all its anonymous grammatical, vocabulary, and logical errors is either the work of someone pretending to be a college graduate, or a pathetic, cowardly attempt to believe their own life’s lie. The TRUTH is life is not fair, and no amount of arguing, denying, or out right lying will make THAT right. It’s in the preamble to the constitution, and it SHOULD be . . Equal rights should be equal, where everyone, not just the priviledged, not just the lucky, get a REAL shot at the pursuit of happiness
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is misunderstood. What’s the opposite of diversity? Conformity. This implies we all think, look and act in lock step. This does not promote ingenuity, innovation or critical thinking. What’s the opposite of Equity? Inequity. Who among us wants to be treated with inequity? Not me. I want to be judged on my abilities, not my gender, race, religion, political affiliation or other factors. What’s the opposite of Inclusion? Exclusion. We’ve all been excluded at times. When I worked at a job in the 20’s as a waitress I was not allowed to work at Jake’s famous crawfish in DT PDX. I was skilled and in fact my sales on average was higher than other waiters and waitresses. I was excluded, not because I couldn’t measure up but because I was female and at that time in the early 80’s, they only hired men as wait staff. Clearly their policies were discriminatory and in time they changed. When we know better, we should do better. DEI is about giving everyone a seat at the table, not about hiring less qualified candidates or nepotism (which appears to be rampant in government). Anyway, this is why I support DEI. Furthermore, if the commissioners are making this decision based on Trumps threats, shame on them. We deserve leaders that stand up to bullies and thugs.