Washington state lawmakers urge governor to remove human-rights panelist over Jew-hatred remarks

Lawmakers from both parties in Washington state are urging Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, to remove Luc fils Jasmin from the Washington State Human Rights Commission after video surfaced on June 10 showing the commissioner dismissing concerns about antisemitism and making derogatory remarks about Jews.

During a commission meeting on March 27, 2025, Jasmin said Jews are “always crying” about antisemitism and accused Jews of “killing millions” of Palestinians while commissioners debated a proposed resolution condemning antisemitism. The meeting video was uploaded to the commission’s website and YouTube channel more than a year after the meeting took place. The commission later adopted the antisemitism resolution unanimously on April 17, 2025.

Jasmin, a Spokane pastor appointed by then-Gov. Jay Inslee in June 2023, serves a term that runs through June 2028. Under state law, the governor has the authority to remove commissioners for misconduct.

“The job of a human rights commissioner is to fight bigotry, not participate in it,” Travis Couture, a Republican state representative, told JNS. “Mocking Jews for speaking out against antisemitism is vile, discriminatory and completely incompatible with the mission of the Washington State Human Rights Commission.”

“Commissioner Jasmin has proven he is unfit to serve, and Gov. Ferguson has the authority to remove commissioners for misconduct,” he said. “If he fails to act, every Washingtonian will be left wondering why bigotry and antisemitism are simply tolerated in his administration.”

Mari Leavitt, a Democratic state representative, told JNS that Jasmin “should have been asked to resign or removed over a year ago” after the meeting happened.

“His commentary is precisely why we must have resolutions and speak about it in the first place,” she said. “The rise of antisemitism is data-centric and proven.”

“It’s fine for folks to criticize the Israeli government,” said Leavitt, who has been outspoken in her support for Israel and against antisemitism. “I am not enchanted either with their decisions or actions all of the time. That’s called critical thinking. But it’s not the Jewish people, and it is a fact that our Jewish community in Washington are, in my view, under attack.”

“His dismissive and careless manner in which he cast aside those concerns, and seemingly casual way in which he did so, suggests to me he is not fit to sit on the commission and should resign,” she said.

Jared Nieuwenhuis, a member of the Bellevue City Council, also called on Gov. Ferguson to “act swiftly and remove Commissioner Jasmin from his position.”

Jasmin’s “comments are completely unacceptable and have no place in Washington’s Human Rights Commission,” Nieuwenhuis told JNS. “Dismissing antisemitism, mocking Jewish suffering and suggesting that Jews ‘cry’ too much about the atrocities committed against them is not only historically inaccurate, it is morally indefensible.”

He noted that Jews have “endured some of the worst human rights abuses in history, and the modern human rights movement was shaped in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Anyone who ridicules that suffering is unfit to serve in a role dedicated to protecting human rights.”

“Washington must send a clear and unequivocal message: antisemitism will not be tolerated. Not in our communities, and certainly not from those entrusted with defending human rights,” Nieuwenhuis said.