Oregon
‘Focus on merit’: Oregon county axes diversity office that cost nearly $1 million a year
Officials in an Oregon county are dismantling their nearly $830,000 a year diversity, equity and inclusion office, despite outcry from those who oppose rolling back social justice initiatives.
“[We] believed that it was really important to focus on merit, fairness and equality, not to racialize the workplace and the county,” Clackamas County Commissioner Ben West told Fox News. “We didn’t want that in our county any longer.”
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners began discussions about dissolving their equity office last spring. On Feb. 5, the office will officially be dismantled, with two of its three employee positions being assigned to other departments. (iStock)
UNIVERSITY QUIETLY DROPS FACULTY DEI REQUIREMENTS IN FREE SPEECH ‘VICTORY,’ CIVIL RIGHTS ORG SAYS
Clackamas County’s equity efforts began in 2004 with a volunteer advisory council. Then in 2020, as racial justice protests swept the nation — and raged for more than 100 consecutive nights in nearby Portland — the county created a three-person Equity and Inclusion Office.
County Commissioner Mark Shull proposed defunding the office last spring, calling it an “unnecessary expense” that “only foments friction.”
This month, the county’s administrator sent a memo to employees announcing the office would dissolve as of Feb. 5. Its two full-time positions are being transferred to other departments. One position will focus on the county’s compliance with federal and state civil rights laws, while the other will support “community engagement and communications efforts that are accessible and inclusive for all populations,” according to the email, which was shared with Fox News.
A protester chants slogans on Nov. 4, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. The city saw months of protests and sometimes riots after George Floyd’s death. ((AP Photo/Paula Bronstein))
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Reaction has been mixed. Last August, residents both in favor of and in opposition to cutting the DEI department packed a county commissioners meeting. Some taunted West as he tried to speak, according to local news reports.
At least five Clackamas County mayors previously signed onto an open letter urging the commissioners to expand equity and inclusion efforts, not cut them. More than 700 other community members, business owners, organizations and politicians also signed the letter.
“This is not about a budget, it’s not about a financial crisis — it’s about racism, sexism and all the things that this country is trying to overcome,” Emmett Wheatfall, a former Clackamas County diversity manager, told The Oregonian last year. Wheatfall retired in 2019, before the county established its new equity office.
OREGON COUNTY WILL FOCUS ON ‘DIVERSITY OF IDEAS,’ COMMISSIONER SAYS:
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Clackamas County is one of three counties that make up the Portland metro area. While its residents lean Democratic, they have favored Republican gubernatorial candidates in the past several elections.
West — who was a plaintiff in the case that made gay marriage legal in Oregon and has a Black son — said the move demonstrates the county’s commitment to a “diversity of ideas” rather than identity politics.
“We value you regardless of your immutable traits,” West said. “Those are not the things that make you unique and special to Clackamas County. It’s that individual spark inside you that does, that makes you a person.”
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The DEI field saw a surge in popularity during the political unrest following George Floyd’s killing in 2020. Numerous universities, companies and government offices have rolled back their diversity initiatives in recent months.
To hear more from West, click here.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
Oregon
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The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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