Langley city staff will not be required to attend anti-racism training, despite direction from the city council to do so.

Langley city council members and the mayor clashed Monday night at a council meeting over the decision about whether to make the training mandatory or not.

Some staff members of the city have shown a reluctance to sign up for the trainings, which occur on paid staff time.

The request for staff training with a focus on education on all aspects of systemic racism comes from a resolution that was previously passed by the council in an effort to create an anti-racist and inclusive community.

The same resolution created a new advisory group for the city called Dismantling Systemic Racism, or the DSR.

The council voiced its intent Monday night that all city staff members should be required to attend the anti-racism training.

Mayor Tim Callison, however, had a different opinion. He said forcing unwilling people to attend the training would only cause resentment.

He also told the council members that if he were to make the training mandatory, they would need to consider the punishment for insubordination.

“You have to consider the consequences of your actions when you pass rules,” he said.

Mike Kenyon, the city’s attorney, said the decision about mandating the training would be up to the mayor, not the council. He pointed to language from the state statute outlining the mayor’s responsibilities as his evidence of that.

“The mayor’s powers specifically include that he serves as ‘the chief executive and administrative officer of the city, in charge of all departments and employees,’” Kenyon said.

Callison said he would strongly urge city staff to attend the training, but he would not make it a requirement for those who are currently refusing the instruction.

Councilmember Thomas Gill said he could see how the interactive portion of the training might make some uncomfortable.

“I have horrible anxiety for most of this stuff,” Gill said, “and I know there’s a lot of people in that same boat.”

He suggested a non-interactive option of the training.

Councilmember Peter Morton said he was of mixed feelings on the subject.

People who don’t want to take the training but have to anyway, he said, will sit there “with their arms folded.”

Councilmember Dominique Emerson initially drew parallels between sexual harassment and anti-racism trainings as both being necessary, but also agreed with Gill when she realized the trainings would be interactive.

Councilmembers Christy Korrow and Craig Cyr, however, took a strong stand in support of mandating the anti-racist instruction.

“I think being uncomfortable is part of the training and is probably a signal that you’re making progress,” Cyr said. “It’s difficult to have these discussions and it increases our skills.”

“This is a textbook case of white fragility,” Korrow said. “We’re having a 30-minute conversation about protecting the feelings of a few people who are nervous about the training who might get resentful.

“Well, what about all the people of color in our community who have been feeling scared or that they’re not understood?” she asked.

She added that it made her nervous to think about the reasons why people don’t want to take the staff training.

Callison said he believed “the vast majority of staff” will attend and that it will encourage others to go to one of the later sessions.

In an interview with The Record, he said he would not identify the staff members who are refusing to take the anti-racist training.

The first two sessions of the training took place on Thursday and Friday. A third session is planned for later this month.

Cyr told The Record that he found the training to be “eye-opening.”

“What you learn is, what you cannot see,” he said, explaining that the “interactive” section of the training involved visualizing guiding questions and concepts.

Participants are invited to share their responses, but are not required to.

Part of the instruction also involves listening to people of color share some of their experiences in Langley.

“It was disappointing that the mayor had a different opinion about requiring the training,” Cyr said. “Disappointing and surprising.”