the Port Townsend YMCA Incited a MOB. It would have been so Easy to simply give dignity, safety and respect to both parties.
Why did the City manager not contact all sides for input and equality?
The City of Port Townsend, Manager John Mauro, Mayor David Fabor and the City Council, as well as the chief of police discriminated against 80 year old Julie Jaman and the woman telling her story, rape survivor woman’s activist Amy Sousa. The City communicated their prejudice right away amongst themselves, all the way up to standing by watching 400 violent protesters mob 11 of us who spoke at the Julie Jaman Press Conference and our dozen or so supporters.
I allege that John Mauro, City Manager and Chief Olson, as well as other city officials defamed, prejudiced, and discriminated against Julie Jaman from the very first moment she cried out for help, for safety, for boundaries and equal rights under the law.
They Clearly Denied Julie Jaman Due Process as a Matter of Law. And the Port Townsend City Attorney Heidi Greenwood, and Steve King Public Works Director, “looped in” did nothing to speak up regarding this denial of due process, human rights violation, prejudice, elder abuse or to speak regarding LAW, Policies and Procedures, and equal rights of due process..
Why Back one side of the story immediately with no investigation?
Why discriminate against Elders, Lesbians, Women Rights?
Why pick a side at all?
Why NOT neutrality?
Why not innocent until proven guilty?
Why not reserve comment, hesitate, perhaps on picking a “side”, until, at least, an investigation into “did the YMCA employee follow the rule of 3 policy”? Did the YMCA have the proper facilities per law, state code? Why simply attack, prejudice, defame, humiliate, abuse and incite violence on an 80 year old long time member of our community?
The City Manager of Port Townsend, was at a crucial moment here, all he had to do was be Neutral and look into it or let it be between the YMCA and the Patron of the YMCA. Instead the CITY took a side, without an investigation and endangered Julie Jaman, and Amy Sousa who, days later were assaulted by a mob of hundreds of violent protesters. I and 10 other speakers and our dozen or so supporters were also attacked.
The City told the Police to Stand Down, we had no protection, no safety measures and no protection between groups. The Prejudice before the press conference was clear in the communication between Chief of Police John Mauro and Chief Tom Olson.
The Julie Jaman Press Conference was mostly elders, and the rest of us over 50 pretty much. This young strong violent mob attacked us. They wrapped pride flags around our head, I panicked at the suffocation as did others. They knocked us to the brick ground, pinned us to brick walls, robbed us, destroyed our property, threatened us, hit us with signs and flag poles, yelled and used sound devices to hurt and damage our ears, and as they assaulted us, the Port Townsend Police stood across the street and watched it happen. Until we finally got 911 to bring in the State Police.
This mob was created, incited, enabled, protected and defended by the actions of the City of Port Townsend.
Below we see a FOI eMail from City Manager John Mauro on July 27, 2022, the day after Julie Jaman was “trespassed” from the Port Townsend YMCA.
Subject: trespassed individual from YMCA/MV Pool
From: JMauro@cityofpt.us
To: sking@cityofpt.us; HGreenwood@cityofpt.us; tolson@cityofpt.us
Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2022 2:34:33 PM
“Hi All I wanted to make sure we’re all in the loop re: an issue that just came my way via YMCA CEO Wendy Bart.
Apparently an individual was trespassed at the pool for verbally abusing a YMCA staff member there at the locker room this week.
Spotty details and a call back to Wendy for more info, but I she noted in a brief message that her staff member, a trans person who identifies as female, was given a barrage of terrible accusations and insults (I can provide examples – really hard to type them) and had to be asked to leave the facility and not to return. This person was identified as Julie Jaman.
Chief, making sure you and your team are across it. Looping Heidi in as I do when things terrify me and Steve from a MV Pool/facility perspective and given the nexus with other City-related issues and behavior.
I want to respect the sensitive nature of this but also to ensure we do the right thing and back the Y’s decision (which I believe they are allowed to make given our operations agreement).
Best
John”
Link to FOI eMail
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_8PiIlV8ebxIUCc628njwAPX8Ox62krG/view?usp=sharing
The word “apparently” implies that Mauro does not know if it is actually true, yet he went on a campaign to incite prejudice and discrimination which led to violence against 80 year old Julie Jaman, Amy Sousa a local woman’s activist and rape survivor and anyone who would dare support an elder in our community.
All hearsay, and no account for Julie’s “feelings”, “rights” “intuition” or her side of the story.
Why was City Manager John Mauro “terrified”? Seems to me it is admitting Liability.
There was no investigation into any allegations before the City of Port Townsend came riding in with their proverbial war horses.
Turns out the YMCA did not follow the “rule of 3 policy” for children’s safety and Julie Jaman’s intuition was absolutely correct. But instead of being thanked for bringing this dangerous policy violation to the YMCA’s attention, and assuring Julie Jaman they would look into it and remind the staffer to follow the policy in the future, they incited the community to gang up against Julie Jaman, an 80 year old woman that had went to that pool for decades. No Dignity, No Respect, No Right to Due Process. Clear Discrimination. Clear Denial of Due Process. Clear Abuse of Power.
It also turns out that the YMCA had violated state law and did not have the proper changing areas. The Port Townsend YMCA added changing areas to comply with law, AFTER Julie Jaman was banned and NOT reinstated. Instead of thanking Julie Jaman for bringing this to the Olympic YMCA’s attention, and assuring her they were correcting the issue, they called the cops, they berated her, humiliated her and then put out a call to action for hundreds of young strong activists to attack her and her supporters, of which I was one of them.
City Manager John Maura backs the Y, with NO Investigation or Due Process. And says, “I believe they are allowed to make given our operations agreement”
If the City believed the YMCA had a right to do what they did then why not simply leave it up to the YMCA?
Oath? He Denied Due Process and Incited a MOB
Why did the City get so righteous, so involved, and make a proclamation that incited a riot, brought in militant antifa, and emboldened them all, along with Olympic Pride activists to attack us, silence our voices, assault us, rob us, destroy our property ?
Why did the City of Port Townsend work up the community to attack Julie Jaman and her supporters with violent force?
Why not just let the City Pool Managers operating under an “operations agreement” with the city, simply stand independent with the decision. Why did the CITY represent and stand with ONE PARTY over the Other? I allege this is illegal. I allege this is discrimination. I allege that the City of Port Townsend is Liable for what they have done, and there should be a criminal investigation into all parties, along with indictments of all involved, as to prevent this from ever happening again.
Posted here by Reverend Crystal Cox, All Faith Church
ReverendCrystalCox@Gmail.com