A Seattle official was presented with a sarcastic accolade for banning city workers from displaying Christmas or Hanukkah decorations in their own homes while on Zoom calls so as not to offend colleagues with different beliefs.
Gloria Ngezaho is a workforce equity manager for King County, which includes Seattle, and is a recipient of the Ebenezer Award from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
Ngezaho’s draconian edict was first revealed in November, and last week he was presented with the award for his “Holiday Decoration Guidelines” rules.
The guidelines prohibited county employees from showing religious objects on their video backgrounds, including nativity scenes, the crucifix, the Star of David and menorahs.
The rules specifically state that public displays of religious beliefs “may disturb employees or members of the public who do not share that particular religion.”
Gloria Ngezaho, who serves as the workforce equity manager for King County Human Resources in Seattle, Washington, has developed “Holiday Decoration Guidelines” for Christian and Jewish County employees to avoid offending colleagues with different beliefs
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty announced the winner of the Ebenezer Award last week
“Some employees may not share your religion, may not practice a religion, or share your enthusiasm for holiday decorations. Religious symbols may only be displayed in an employee’s personal workspace,” read the memo, first obtained by Seattle-based journalist Jason Rantz.
Dubbed “the most outrageous offender” of this year’s winter break, Becket likened King County’s receipt of the Ebenezer Award to “delivering a lump of coal in recognition of scroogery on a grand scale.”
Previous winners of the Ebenezer Prize include the American Humanist Association, which tried to prevent schools from sending aid packages to children in need; the Department of Veterans Affairs, which banned employees at its Salem, Virginia facility from saying “Merry Christmas” to veterans; and the University of Minnesota, which two years ago banned holiday colors, Santa Clauses, bows, dreidels and even wrapped presents from campus.
“King County religious workers are likely to feel like the ransacked residents of Whoville this Christmas and Hanukkah season,” said Montse Alvarado, COO and general manager of Becket. “The government has no right to rob its employees of the holiday cheer by forcing them to dismantle their cribs and menorahs, especially in their own homes.”
“This is the time of year when, in the spirit of Christmas, Americans should come together to support one another and spread joy and hope,” Alvarado added in a statement. “But, as always, there are bureaucrats like the ones in King County who are cutting religion out of the holiday season. Let’s hope their hearts grow a few sizes this Christmas.”
The guidelines prohibited King County employees from displaying their Christmas or Hanukkah decorations, including the nativity scene, crucifix, Star of David and menorahs, while working from home
Montse Alvarado, COO and CEO of Becket, said: “The government has no right to rob its employees of the holiday cheer by forcing them to take down their cribs and menorahs, especially in their own homes.” Pictured: a Christmas parade in Bellevue – a suburb of Seattle
Ngezaho previously shared a “personal, reflective piece” titled “Black Lives Matter” with King County staff. What next?” following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020
has reached out to King County for comment.
In contrast to his polarizing stance on the holiday season this year, Ngezaho previously shared a “personal, thoughtful piece” with King County staffers entitled “Black Lives Matter”. What next?” following the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020.
“Just a few weeks ago I witnessed, along with the world, the murder of George Floyd at the hands, or should I say knees, of a white police officer. I sat in silence with my family, angry and not knowing what to do,” he wrote, while recalling a time when his four-year-old daughter asked him to be careful while walking out to the Labor was , shortly after Floyd’s death, which sparked protests across the United States
“It wasn’t long before I decided to share my thoughts with my network. This was a space I needed at that moment because my whole family was hurting and I needed to let out the fire that was inside me.
‘[…] Contrary to some rhetoric, the challenges we face do not lie between black people and white people. This is about everyone, at least everyone who is not associated with and subscribes to white supremacy or racism,” Ngezaho added.
Seattle was once rocked by protests, clashes with local police and looting following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody two years ago
Black Lives Matter protesters march down a street in downtown Seattle in June 2020, as the city was forced to impose a curfew following racial unrest across the country
“There are a lot of people in my circles who have tried to reframe this fight against racism and made it sound like it’s a fight between black people and white people. I had to constantly review and correct them to make it clear that we are fighting a cancer-causing ideology — white supremacy — not people.”
The Kings County staffer wrote that he needed to remember not to let other people’s reactions provoke him as “it’s a lot easier to make mistakes and make things worse in the heat of the moment because every reaction tends to be reactionary”.
Finally, two years ago, Ngezaho had to remind himself that he is not alone in his fight against racism.
“When I say I’m not alone, I’m not implying that there are other black people out there facing the same struggles and fighting alongside me,” he wrote.
“What I’m saying is that there are many people of all colors (Asian, Black, White, Latino, Native, Mixed race…) who are with me, marching with me, thinking with me, fighting by my side, often with their own life on the line.’
“That brings me back to the first point I made; this is not about a black-against-white issue, but about everyone against racism.”