After latest appointee withdraws, Lynnwood City Council discusses next steps

EVERETT — Lynnwood City Council appointee Jessica Roberts is withdrawing from consideration, she announced Thursday afternoon.

Roberts’ decision came hours before the City Council met Thursday evening to reconsider her appointment.

On Monday, the council voted unanimously to appoint Roberts to the position. On Tuesday, the Lynnwood Times published an article revealing Roberts previously posted explicit material on online platforms, including OnlyFans and Reddit.

“My personal life and identity does not in any way affect my ability to do the job,” Roberts wrote in an email to The Daily Herald on Thursday. “However I have decided to withdraw my appointment not because I’m unwilling to serve the people of my community, but because the continued scrutiny of my personal life is a potential distraction from the council’s forward progress.”

On Thursday night before a standing-room-only crowd, the Lynnwood City Council discussed how to move forward with choosing a new candidate. The council will wait until its next business meeting Monday to make a final decision.

In the meantime, Mayor Christine Frizzell said the city would ask the remaining candidates whether they are still interested in the position and determine how long background checks would take. Four of the original eight candidates remain: Forrest Baum, Nazanin Lashgari, Robert Leutwyler and Chelsea Wright. Up until Thursday, the council chose not to use background checks during its process.

On Thursday night, City Attorney Lisa Marshall said state law does not prevent the council from looking at candidates’ social media profiles prior to making a decision.

Some attendees at Thursday’s meeting brought large posters with Roberts’ explicit social media posts on them. There was no public comment, but after the meeting adjourned, some yelled at the council, demanding an apology for appointing Roberts.

It’s the latest in a series of difficulties for the council to fill an empty position after former Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby resigned to serve as a commissioner for the Snohomish County Public Utility District in January. On Feb. 20, the city appointed Rebecca Thornton to fill the vacant seat. One hour before she was set to be sworn in, Thornton withdrew her appointment.

The city has until April 5 to find a new council member. If it fails to meet the deadline, the Snohomish County Council will take over the process, according to state law.

On Thursday afternoon, Chris Roberts, spokesperson for the 32nd District Democrats, sent a statement to the Herald in support of Jessica Roberts, a bisexual transgender woman. Chris Roberts applauded the city of Lynnwood for appointing a transgender woman to public office and encouraged the council to consider other transgender candidates for the vacant seat.

“At a time when trans rights and LGBTQIA+ visibility are more critical than ever, we need our elected officials, cities, and school districts to take strong stands to support the LGBTQA+ members of their community,” Chris Roberts said. “We know that diversity makes our communities stronger and that we must stand up for the people whose ability to live their lives are most at-risk.”

Popular right-wing X accounts, including Andy Ngo and Libs of TikTok, have posted about Jessica Roberts’ appointment and her online explicit materials.

“We are disappointed that right-wing bloggers went out of their way to erase trans voices and discredit a woman who had the audacity to serve her community,” Chris Roberts said.

This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.