STA investigation finds no racism by human resources director

An investigation conducted for the Spokane Transit Authority determined that allegations the agency’s human resources director made racist comments on social media were unfounded.

The investigation, done by Michael Sanders of the Seattle-based company Mix Sanders Thompson, found that Facebook posts by Nancy Williams do not “tend to reflect racist beliefs.”

The investigation also said allegations that Williams had been racially discriminatory were unfounded. Sanders was hired by STA to look into the complaint against Williams. The transit agency released the investigation’s results Wednesday afternoon.

The post in question was made on Facebook in January 2017, two months before Williams was hired by the transit agency. The post allegedly showed Williams sharing a video about a developmentally disabled man being attacked by young African-Americans in a racially charged assault. In her post, Williams wrote, “Thought I would see more outrage on Facebook about this … these ‘kids’ are despicable animals.”

This June, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1015, which represents STA’s workers, said it had discovered the “disturbing, racist comments” made by Williams. Thomas Leighty, the union’s president, called for Williams to resign or be fired for the “explicitly and vilely racist” comments.

Williams’ comments were made about a 30-minute video showing the attack that streamed on the social media site and quickly went viral. It showed four African-Americans in their 20s cutting the 18-year-old white victim’s scalp with a knife. They laughed as they punched and kicked the man, who was bound and gagged.

The four people who made the video have been arrested and charged.

Beverly Nan Murphy, who is later identified in the post as Williams’ aunt and is described in the investigatory report as a “close family friend,” replied to Williams’ post, calling Barack Obama a “creature.” In the same comment she wrote, “If you don’t teach primates at an early age, (no matter what skin they are in) they continue to be non-civilized.”

Williams “liked” the comment, and came to her aunt’s defense after someone called it the “dumbest comment I’ve read today.”

“Seems like many others agree with my aunts comments,” Williams wrote.

After 17 interviews and a review of evidence such as news reports, the agency’s harassment policy and spreadsheets of STA disciplinary actions, Sanders found no wrongdoing.

The report did conclude that Leighty’s complaint was “non-traditional” since it “does not point to any conduct by Ms. Williams in her professional capacity, or even during her time” at STA.

After a lengthy description of Williams’ career, including ten years as a “diversity facilitator” at Safeway, Sanders quoted her as saying, “I don’t have a racist bone in my body.”

Leighty said he had not reviewed the investigative report and declined to comment.

E. Susan Meyer, STA’s CEO, said in a statement that it was “unusual” to release the results of an investigation into a personnel matter, but felt compelled to “because of the very public way the claim was made.”

She said that “no further action is required and the investigation is closed.”