Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner Keaton recounts racial incidents in Newberg; colleagues debate verifiability
Summary
During announcements Commissioner Keaton described recent racial‑slur incidents in Newberg and urged attention; other commissioners questioned whether the account painted the community too broadly and asked for verifiable testimony. Keaton offered to bring affected residents to the board.
During the announcements portion of the June 18 session, Commissioner Keaton described incidents of racial harassment she said had occurred in the Newberg area and urged the board to acknowledge and address the problem.
Keaton said a friend was recently targeted while leaving a public pool: "some kids drove by and called her the N‑word," she said, and added that she has seen racial slurs used at Newberg High School and elsewhere. Keaton said she could arrange for affected residents to come to the board to share their stories.
Other commissioners pushed for caution about broad statements describing the entire community. Commissioner Stewart asked whether Keaton had specific, verifiable examples and warned against painting the community with a blanket label without evidence. Keaton responded that the incidents are verifiable and reiterated her willingness to invite residents to present their experiences to the board.
The exchange closed without formal action; commissioners agreed the issue merited attention and, if residents wished, could be brought forward for further discussion or testimony.
Next steps: Keaton offered to bring residents with firsthand accounts to present to the board; no procedural decisions were made during the announcements period.
