Spokane Valley City Council meeting ends in argument about how to handle Yaeger’s ‘Islamophobic’ post

Spokane Valley City Council members rejected a call to issue an apology or stronger condemnation of Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger, who declared herself a “proud Islamophobe” in a Facebook post last week.

Yaeger was criticized by 30 of the 32 people who offered public testimony at Tuesday’s council meeting. Yaeger has stood by her declaration and has posted a video defending it. She did not address the controversy at the meeting.

Mayor Pam Haley began the council meeting by addressing Yaeger’s post.

“I was deeply troubled to learn about the council member’s actions,” Haley said. “I want to make it clear to everyone here tonight and to all the residents that council member Yeager’s social media post does not represent the values or views of myself, the city of Spokane Valley, or, I believe, of this council.”

Haley said that hate speech and discrimination have no place in the Valley or in public discourse.

“As council members, we serve all 110,000 residents of Spokane Valley – people of many cultures, faiths and backgrounds, and we value and celebrate each of your unique contributions,” Haley said.

Haley and every council member, including Yaeger, also reaffirmed a resolution the council passed in 2017 that states Spokane Valley is an inclusive city where all are welcome.

Haley and Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg wrote in a statement Friday that they believe in the freedom of speech and support the rights of law-abiding citizens.

“Councilmember Yaeger’s views are that of her own and do not represent the full Council or City of Spokane Valley,” the statement reads. “As we proudly represent the residents of Spokane Valley, we stand firmly united against all forms of discrimination. The City is committed to fostering a community of respect for all citizens, regardless of faith.”

But after public testimony Tuesday, Councilman Al Merkel called for the council to write a stronger statement apologizing to Spokane Valley residents for the pain Yaeger’s Facebook post caused, and recommended the statement be read at the start of the next council meeting.

No other council member was in favor of drafting a statement of apology or recognition of the harm caused.

The meeting, which was nearly four hours long, had over an hour and a half of public comment. Most who spoke to the city council called for Yaeger to resign and apologize for her statements about Islam.

Merkel also said Yaeger violated the city governance manual, which states that council members agree to represent all people in the Valley in an unbiased way.

“I don’t see how Jessica can do that now,” Merkel said during an interview with The Spokesman-Review on Wednesday morning.

His comments were cut short by Councilman Ben Wick, who said Merkel needed to follow the process for filing complaints against another council member outlined in the governance manual. Merkel argued that the governance manual doesn’t say complaints should only be filed outside of council meetings.

“What you want to do is make this council look bad,” Councilman Rod Higgins said during the argument to Merkel, who has often been at odds with his fellow city council members since he was elected.

Merkel said that Yaeger’s original Facebook post does not violate the governance manual, but the video she posted where she discusses the aftermath of The Spokesman-Review article on her comments is city business.

“When she talks about what she should do as a city council member, that’s city business,” Merkel said.

On Wednesday, Merkel was unsure if he would end up filing an official complaint through the city and noted that filing a complaint would cost the city more money in investigation fees.

Ultimately, Yaeger motioned to adjourn the meeting, and Councilwoman Laura Padden seconded the motion.

Some of the people who addressed the council were critical of other council members for not standing more firmly against Yaeger’s beliefs.

“I know you’re disappointed and I know you think I was flippant, although I’ve gotten death threats for standing up against her (Yaeger’s) statement,” Haley said at the end of the council meeting.

Haley said the City Council cannot do anything about the situation because Yaeger has the freedom of speech and nothing in the governance manual would change that.