County commissioner faces backlash after comparing mask mandate to sexual assault in Washington

By BRIDGET CHAVEZ

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    KLICKITAT COUNTY, Washington (KPTV) — Dan Christopher, a Klickitat County Commissioner is being met with outrage from some of his constituents after he made comments during the board’s meeting on September 21st comparing Washington’s mask mandate to women being sexually assaulted.

“I want you to look closely at every woman wearing a mask, one in four or one in six was molested and raped,” Christopher said during the meeting. “They’ll understand the mask that they are forced to wear by the governor, even if they’re getting the vaccine might as well be the governor’s hand silencing the screams of their past.”

His comments have since been met with anger and shock from some in the community. Becky Miles was at the meeting when it happened.

“He used sexual abuse of women as a means to try to push away from the mask mandate and I feel that as a sexually abused person myself that that is not representing me and to make other people in the community unsafe by using sexual abuse of women is also disturbing to me,” Miles said.

During the same meeting, Lynn Mason was in the middle of speaking during public comment when she was met with Christopher’s middle finger.

“As far as Commissioner Christopher’s letter as a woman I’m highly offended by that and honestly I think it’s gross,” Mason said during public comment on Tuesday. She said she is still confused by his response.

“Not at all the reaction you’d expect from your public elected official where they’re supposed to have some sort of decorum,” Mason said. “I’m a person on the other side of that screen that definitely got flipped off and I don’t think you can deflect from that.”

Commissioner Christopher told FOX 12 that he will not apologize for what he said. In a statement he said, “My statement was non-political and was strictly about re-masking the vaccinated and the damage that is causing. I have and will apologize to the residents of Klickitat County for not being able to control my emotions. But I will not apologize to that hateful woman that wants to weaponize my pain for her political purposes.“ Christopher also made a motion to remove the county’s public health officer which failed.

“I have sympathy for anybody who’s had sexual abuse and if that’s him or someone in his family I have great sympathy for that but it is still not a reason to use it as something to keep people from wearing masks and supporting community health,” Miles said.

Fellow commissioner, Jacob Anderson also provided FOX 12 with a statement saying in part, “I feel that he was genuine in his concern for the survivors and that sexual abuse is something very close to his heart. In this time where emotions are running high and everyone is on edge an apology never hurts.”

FOX 12 did reach out to Governor Jay Inslee’s office for comment but has not yet heard back.

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