by Nicholas K. Geranios, Washington State Standard
May 1, 2026
SPOKANE, Wash. — Former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward is seeking $10 million from the city after she was censured for appearing at a prayer service held by right-wing religious leaders in 2023.
Woodward, a long-time television news anchor here, was defeated in her reelection bid three months after the August 2023 censure by the City Council.
Her attorney filed an amended tort claim with the city in mid-April, raising the amount sought in the original claim from $1.5 million to $10 million.
Woodward contended the censure was a “scarlet letter” that continues to harm her.
City spokeswoman Erin Hut on Wednesday declined to comment on Woodward’s new claim.
The issue began when Woodward went on stage during a Let Us Worship event in Spokane, headlined by prominent right-wing pastor Sean Feucht. The event also featured former Washington state legislator Matt Shea, a religious conservative who was kicked out of the GOP caucus in the Washington House of Representatives in 2019 after it branded him a domestic terrorist who posed a threat of political violence.
During the Spokane event in 2023, Shea blessed Woodward and the two hugged as she walked off stage. Woodward’s attendance was captured on video and widely shown on newscasts.
Shortly after, the Spokane City Council passed a resolution denouncing Woodward’s attendance at the event. Woodward subsequently lost her November reelection bid to Democrat Lisa Brown, a former state legislative leader.
Woodward herself filed her initial tort claim for damages in 2024. In addition to the city, Woodward named the four City Council members who voted for the resolution as defendants.
After a lack of response from the city, Woodward, who now works as a real estate agent, hired attorney Mary Schultz to pursue her case.
In the new claim, Woodward contended the city and the four council members violated her constitutional rights with an abuse of legislative power that “resulted in harassment by the media, estrangement from her social group, supporters and neighbors, and loss of business and professional opportunities.”
She contended she was a victim of “character assassination,” and continued to “suffer ongoing injury, including vitriol, backlash and threats,” the claim said.
Schultz said neither federal or state constitutions allow legislators to punish local officials for “listening to whatever political or religious views are being discussed in our community.”
In her claim, Woodward asked the court to declare the censure resolution unconstitutional, direct that it be vacated and award her damages.
“The legislative assault arose solely from Woodward’s having attended a disfavored public prayer/political event, and being ‘embraced’ by one of its leaders,” Schultz wrote in the amended claim.
Woodward joined Shea on stage in August 2023 during a stop on the Kingdom to the Capitol tour, a religious and political event organized by Feucht and his Let Us Worship group.
Shortly before introducing Woodward, Shea had compared same-sex marriage and transgender rights to wildfires that had just devastated some nearby communities.
After her attendance became widely publicized, Woodward denounced Shea as a threat to democracy and distanced herself from his political views. She maintained that she had not known that Shea would be present at the event and believed its purpose was to pray for the victims of the wildfires.
Shea disputed Woodward’s explanation.
“This is an annual event planned months ago to worship Jesus,” Shea wrote on social media after Woodward’s complaints. “It wasn’t for ‘fire victims.’ She was invited and she accepted BEFORE the fires started.”
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