😬 Civil Rights director put on leave

Seattle Civil Rights Office Director Put On Leave

A week after staff at Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights called for their director to be removed, Derrick Wheeler-Smith has been put on administrative leave along with his deputy director, Fahima Mohamed. In the meantime, an outside investigator is looking into allegations by SOCR staff that include discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. [PubliCola]

• Who is Wheeler-Smith? SOCR’s director is a longtime community advocate, who headed up King County’s Zero Youth Detention Program, has advocated for treating gun violence as an urgent public health issue, and was also a high-school basketball coach. He was appointed director in 2023, despite a number of concerns raised by voices from the city’s LGBTQ Commission. [PubliCola]
• Why Was He Put On Leave? Last year in December, PROTEC17, the union representing SOCR employees, sent a memo to Katie Wilson’s transition team urging them to remove Wheeler-Smith and his deputy. It cited an internal union survey in which the majority of employees reported witnessing workplace misconduct or inappropriate behavior – describing 20 of these incidents in detail. [PubliCola]
• PubliCola Spoke To Staff To Learn More: After speaking with nearly a quarter of SOCR staff, PubliCola learned Wheeler-Smith had ignored or rejected efforts to focus work on emerging issues facing Asian American, Latino, and LGBTQ+ people. Staffers also alleged retaliation, discrimination against women and LGBTQ+ and disabled staffers, and inappropriate conduct such as sending misogynistic “jokes” about women to male staff, including a meme suggesting Kamala Harris rose to her position by giving oral sex. [PubliCola]

WA Legislators Vote To Prohibit Microchipping Workers 🤖

In news that makes you both say, ‘oh good,’ but also, ‘umm what?’, our state Senate unanimously voted for legislation last week that prohibits employers from requesting, requiring, or encouraging employees to have microchips implanted in their bodies. It now heads to the governor’s desk, where if it’s signed, it will make WA the 14th state to preemptively ban the practice. As of right now, there are no known employers in our state that require microchip implanting. [Seattle Times]

Sub Pop Records Moves to the Waterfront 🔊

The independent record label is leaving its brick-and-mortar store at the base of Amazon’s HQ tower after five years. The new Sub Pop location will open in April on the Seattle waterfront in the Maritime Building at 908 Alaskan Way. As Amazon’s footprint in Seattle shrinks, the move seems well-timed with the expansion of the shiny new waterfront. [GeekWire]

Stevens Pass and Whistler Create Discounts for Gen Z 🏂

Vail Resorts announced last week that skiers and snowboarders between the ages of 13 and 30 will get a 20% discount on the adult rate for their Epic Pass next season. This discount applies to Stevens Pass and Whistler Blackcomb. Following a rough snow season this winter, the resort hopes to entice the next generation of snow sports enthusiasts. As snow becomes less reliable across the region, Jane and Ashley spoke with journalist Susan Shain about her recent article covering the cost of snowmaking. Listen to the podcast here. 🎧 [Seattle Times]