A local businessman has left Jefferson County after false accusations of racism incited by the Jefferson Community Foundation. And a small business already devastated by the Governor’s shut down order is the talk of protests and boycotts that could finish it off. Rather than retract its racism libel, Jefferson Community Foundation has opted to let the hate and division it fomented continue to hurt the community it has pledged to uplift and unite.
They turned what could have ended as a pissing match between landlord and tenant into a cause celebre‘ with racial overtones. And now they’re fundraising off the public controversy they created.
JCF has done so much good work it is difficult to understand why they have behaved in such an irresponsible manner. In fairness to them, this article is rather lengthy as I will reproduce in full the relevant documents to justify the conclusions reached.
Sowing Seeds of Discord to Settle a Score
On June 30, JCF announced on its Facebook page and its website that it had been forced to leave its offices at the Salmon Office Park in Port Hadlock and “that the reason cited by Property Manager Brent Garrett was that a Black Lives Matter sign we taped in the window violated a clause in our lease requiring approval for signage.” As will be seen, while he did at one point tell them to vacate because they were violating their lease, he quickly was willing to accept their explanation and allow them to stay. It was JCF that chose to leave, not Garrett who forced them out.
JCF complained in its announcements that its Black Lives Matter sign was being singled out for disapproval, thereby implying a racist motivation on Garrett’s part. JCF stated, “We have been located in the Salmon Office Park for years and have posted many signs in the windows without written approval.” It did not mention that neither it, nor any other tenant, has ever been permitted to post anything that can be considered political or even controversial.
To add to its insinuation of racism by Garrett, JCF went on to proclaim: “Our staff and Board are unequivocally committed to equality and we stand with and support the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement.” On its website the foundation said it was “evaluating potential legal action and reviewing our culture, programs, policies and practices to ensure that we continue to grow in our commitment to anti-racist action.” The implication is clear, the property manager is racist because he would not let them have their BLM sign. Unlike them, he is not growing in his “commitment to anti-racist action.”
This announcement set off a firestorm on social media that only a fool or liar could claim they had not seen coming in this current environment of heightened tensions and sensitivities. One example: Port Townsend Deputy Mayor David Faber shared the JCF post on his Facebook page, declaring, “Absolutely disheartening and despicable to boot out the Jefferson Community Foundation for posting a Black Lives Matter sign in their window.” The comments that followed called the property manager “scumbag,” encouraged escalating the situation with boycotts and protests and broader coverage, and revealed Isaac Sheldon Urner posting “a pissed off review” of the Crazy Otter in Port Hadlock in retaliation because he thought it was Garrett’s business. Urner eventually learned it had been started by Garrett and a partner two years ago but he was no longer involved with the business.
The discussion of the JCF post on other Facebook pages was similar, with calls for protests, retaliation and boycotts of any business associated with Garrett (particularly the Crazy Otter) and a lot of hateful epithets directed against him. JCF permitted these threats and accusations on its own Facebook page–while repeatedly blocking posts of the actual emails underlying the controversy that you will read below.
JCF has allowed to stand on its Facebook page comments such as, “I hope your community makes that owner pay for that decision,” and “I want to know everything this person is involved with so I can boycott.”
Garrett told me that as a result of JCF’s actions he has received hateful calls and all kinds of hate mail. The racist accusation cuts right to his heart as he has three Black members of his immediate family whom he loves dearly.
Garrett has spent years making contributions to Jefferson County. He has started businesses, provided affordable housing, and owned and managed commercial and residential properties. He has struggled with ever-rising taxes and endless regulatory headaches. He has invested money and countless hours to make this a better place to live and work. But no more.
“This was the last straw.” He was on his cell speaking with me as he drove east. He has left Jefferson County and he’s not coming back.
It’s a terrible shame, because what JCF wrote is false and they know it. They also obviously know how to incite a mob and did so for the petty purpose of making themselves look like persecuted social justice warriors, while also getting back at Garrett, and incidentally giving themselves another opportunity to seek donations.
JCF Was Not Evicted And Isn’t Telling the Whole Story
Garrett provided me with all the emails behind the controversy. JCF has refused any comment, and not only to me. It also refused to talk to the Peninsula Daily News which ran its own story on July 2.
It started on June 12, when Garrett noticed a very large “Black Lives Matter” sign in JCF’s window (see the photo above). Garrett told me that political signs of any kind have never been permitted at Salmon Office Park. It makes sense. If someone put up a Biden sign, he would have to permit a Trump sign. If JCF could have its BLM sign, someone could insist on an “All Lives Matter,” or a “White Lives Matter” sign. Or even a “Black Lives Don’t Matter” sign. Things could get out of hand. It is a business park, after all, not a protest site.
Garrett on Friday, June 12 sent this e-mail to Siobhan Canty, JCF’s president and CEO:
Sobhan Canty, President and CEO, Jefferson Community Foundation
He received no response. The very large sign stayed up. He had said this was “time sensitive.” There is apparently a 48-hour deadline in the lease for tenants to remedy violations. Thinking he was being blown off, as Garrett told me, two days later, Sunday, June 14, he wrote to Canty:
He sent that email again an hour later, as it had been sent an hour short of the 48 hour response time in the lease.
Canty now responded, within minutes. Her message in full was: “Notice back to you that I did not see this email until right now. This [is] callous, hateful and undeserved.”
Garrett responded at 7:30 Monday morning: “I suggest we talk in person immediately this morning. Text me when you get in.”
Getting no response, at 1:30 Monday afternoon he tried again: “I’ve been trying to reach you. I texted and called.” At 4 p.m. he heard from Canty: “Hi Brent, A friend of mine died yesterday. Be in touch soon.” He wrote back, “So sorry. A friend of mine died last week. When you’re ready lets talk and smooth this out.”
The next communication from Canty came two days later, Wednesday, June 17. It was entitled, “Move Date”:
She sent this without ever responding to his invitation of two days earlier to sit down and talk. He responded within the hour. He was willing to understand that she had not seen the notice of violation and his request to remove the sign. He offered to let it go and let them stay if they wanted.
Five days passed until he heard from Canty again, writing near the end of the day the next Monday, June 22:
On June 30, near the end of the business day, JCF posted its false announcement about being evicted for posting a BLM sign and set off the firestorm of racist accusations that drove Garrett out of Jefferson County.
Lawyering Up
When JCF’s post provoked hate mail and hateful calls, and he became aware of discussions of protests and boycotts, Garrett got his lawyer involved.
Canty received this letter from attorney Matt Lind, of the Poulsbo firm of Sherrard, McGonagle, Tizzano & Lind, P.C.:
Garrett anticipates he will have to eventually sue JCF for the damages and injuries they have caused him. He says it is no longer possible for him to live and work in Jefferson County as a result of their actions.
Jefferson County Foundation’s Deplorable Conduct
They’re playing the bully here. JCF is a power in this community. It has raised and dispersed a lot of money. Not only did it want a special exception for its BLM sign, it wanted to punish the person who would not let them post it. It could have found another space and announced its new location. Instead it went out of its way to stir up hatred and get on its self-righteous but rather petty high horse.
No matter how much money they raise and give away, no matter how wealthy and influential its backers, there is no excuse for how Canty and Jefferson Community Foundation have behaved.
[This article has been corrected to identify Canty as JCF’s president and CEO. It had initially identified her as executive director.]
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.
This kind of reporting is exactly why I subscribe.
I was waiting for the rest of the story. Thank you for the additional information.
Great information, keep it going.
Thank you Jim, you are a bright light in a very dark place!
An open letter to Brent Garrett regarding the recent eviction of the Jefferson Community Foundation from its offices in Port Hadlock.
Dear Mr. Garrett:
You claim that you have been mistreated by others in the community because you evicted a non-profit foundation from the Salmon Office Park in Port Hadlock. But you have not been mistreated. You have been hoisted on your own petard. You have blown yourself up.
The one incontrovertible fact is that you wrote an email demanding that JCF vacate its offices within 48 hours and, by the way, “remove all the art you have in the hallways.” You did that, Brent. Yes you did.
But I’m not so much interested in the legality here. I’m more interested in the optics. Brent, what could you have been thinking?
First, how did you think it would look if you kicked a non-profit charity, fundraising for people who had been adversely affected by the pandemic, out in the street on such short notice and for such a petty reason—a Black Lives Matter sign in a window. Did it not occur to you that, given the circumstances, you might cut them a little slack? Give them 30 days rather than 2?
Second, given what’s going on nationally with protests about police violence, did you not think that now would be a pretty crummy time to use a BLM sign as the pretext for the eviction? Seriously, Brent, not a good look.
Third, why would you make things worse by getting all lawyered up and threatening to sue them for libel, slander, whatever you thought it was? That would really look good, stepping into court and trying to take money from a charity. Rather like stealing from a Salvation Army kettle at Christmas. Or maybe a little worse than that.
Finally, why would you put on the self-pity and tell the Port Townsend Free Press that you have left Jefferson County and you are not coming back? It reminds me of Richard Nixon in the ‘60s saying, “You won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore!” Alas, and we were just getting to know you.
In short, brother Brent, you don’t need a lawyer. You need a public relations specialist.
Yours in the thick of it, Curtis White, Port Townsend.
This is the Curtis White who was among those sending threatening hate mail to Mr. Garrett. Mr. Garrett during his interview on KPTZ said he left the county and quit his job because he no longer felt safe after the deluge of hate mail he received. The facts related here in Mr. White’s email are incorrect and do not match the history of the emails we reproduced in full. But since Mr. White’s comment here, unlike his email to Mr. Garrett, does not contain profanity or nearly the same severity of vicious personal attacks we are allowing it to appear.