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Members of an Oregon Department of Transportation advisory committee are calling out the agency’s leadership for its聽inadequate response to a now-former committee member making racist and sexist remarks.

鈥淭he DBE program is just a racist (by definition) scam to gift work to people who either lack the performance to earn it through their own merits, or who happen to be the correct/chosen sex or skin color for a handout,鈥� the person (then a committee member) wrote anonymously in an internal survey.

ODOT staff circulated among committee members before a meeting on Feb. 3. The full comment (No. 7) appeared on the fourth page of a seven-page document. During the meeting, the comment was raised by committee members and not ODOT; Maria Ellis, the agency’s economic equity manager, said ODOT didn’t want to bring the comment to attention because it’s not in line with ODOT’s values.

Following the meeting, ODOT dismissed the member from the committee and notified the owner of the company the commenter represented.

The committee is responsible for guiding ODOT’s聽policies on equity in construction contracting. The internal survey sought feedback on policies that aim to remediate historical harm caused by discrimination in construction contract awards.

鈥淔or me there’s a clear lack of understanding of what equity means to whoever provided that comment,鈥� Statewide Project Delivery Manager David Kim said. 鈥淏ut it also indicates that we have a long way to go.鈥�

ODOT did not respond promptly to calls seeking identification of the former committee member. However, the person’s employer addressed the committee during another meeting on Feb. 10.

Todd Carter, the owner of Carter & Company, told committee members that he fired the individual for making the comments but then reversed his decision. The employee is聽an estimator and project manager.

Instead, Carter said the employee would undergo corrective training and then be put in charge of helping change the company’s culture so no similar incidents would occur.

Committee member Kelly Kupcak, executive director of Oregon Tradeswomen, said it’s challenging to see the person who holds such views develop the project, content and plan that would counter them.

Committee member Twauna Hennessee, a representative of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, questioned whether it is a good idea to keep the person in a position involving oversight of estimates on contracts and project management. Estimators are typically the 鈥済atekeepers鈥� who influence bids and subcontracted projects, she said.

Carter told the committee he would be taking a larger role in overseeing the training and programs in his company.

Hennessee added that she’s concerned that ODOT Director Kris Strickler didn’t attend Thursday’s meeting. In the past, the director had shown up to committee meetings involving much less serious issues, she said, and 鈥渢hat’s problematic for me.鈥�

Cooper Brown, ODOT’s assistant director for operations, said the agency’s top leadership is aware of the issue and taking it seriously.

鈥淚 understand that the director is aware of it,鈥� said Maurice Rahming, a committee member and president of O’Neill Construction Group. 鈥淏ut the director is not present, and I think that’s what you’re hearing.鈥�

Rahming said businesses like his and others with staff members who are women or Black or Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) must deal with the type of aggression evident in the survey comment every day in the construction industry. More is needed from ODOT on how it will protect minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprise firms and BIPOC employees, he said.

鈥淚 have not heard from ODOT or anyone with any concrete answers,鈥� Rahming said. 鈥淭he best I’ve heard is we’re going to put a committee together to discuss minority stuff. That is not good enough.鈥�

Brown and聽Ellis said they would review Thursday’s meeting discussion and return before the committee with concrete actions for the state to take.