Former Spokane mayor Woodward seeks millions more from city for denouncing her 2023 prayer appearance with Matt Shea
Former Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward wants more money from the city she once led because she claims continued "irreparable damage" caused by other city leaders denouncing her 2023 onstage campaign visit with Christian nationalist Matt Shea and others.
Woodward initially filed a tort claim against the city in 2024 seeking $1.4 million for what she claimed was a violation of her First Amendment rights when the Spokane City Council passed a resolution 4-3 condemning her appearance with Shea and Sean Feucht.
She has since hired attorney Mary Schultz, who earlier this month filed an amended claim on Woodward's behalf that now seeks $10 million.
"In sum," Schultz wrote in part, that the resolution in 2023 "was intended as, and was, unlawful government punishment ... because of her attendance and speech at a public forum."
Woodward now works as a real estate agent in Spokane Valley.
City officials' "punitive actions were intended to, and did, irreparably damage" Woodward, Schultz wrote. The resolution "remains in effect, and injury is ongoing."
A tort claim is a necessary legal step that must be taken before someone can file a lawsuit against a government entity.
The claim names the city of Spokane and City Council members Betsy Wilkerson, Lori Kinnear, Karen Stratton and Zack Zappone.
"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. "No constitutional provision, nor law, nor state nor federal precedent, nor history of presidential or elected official censure, supports the use of legislative powers to compel orthodoxy in speech and association."
Woodward joined Shea on stage in August 2023 at the Podium during a stop on the Kingdom to the Capitol tour, a religious and political series organized by Feucht and his organization Let Us Worship.
Shortly before introducing Woodward to the stage, Shea compared same-sex marriage and transgender rights to the Gray and Oregon Road fires that devastated the nearby communities.
Woodward publicly denounced Shea soon after, calling him a threat to democracy and distancing 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 Oregon Road and Gray fires.
Shea soon after posted on Twitter, now known as X, disputing Woodward's explanation of the events.
"This is an annual event planned months ago to worship Jesus," Shea wrote. "It wasn't for 'fire victims.' She was invited and she accepted BEFORE the fires started."
After the city passed the resolution on Sept. 24, 2023, Woodward was defeated by current mayor Lisa Brown. Woodward, who was first elected in November 2019, earned 47.7% of the vote compared to Brown's 51.7%.
City spokeswoman Erin Hut declined to comment, saying that the tort claim could develop into further legal action.
Resolution co-sponsor Zappone said in a statement in 2024 that the City Council was in its rights to denounce Woodward.
"The Council's decision to denounce former Mayor Woodward by resolution in September 2023 was within its legal authority, warranted as a matter of policy, and completely constitutional. Council Member Zappone strongly denies the claims and allegations in Former Mayor Woodward's claim for damages, just like Sean Feucht's complaint, and is confident the legal process will reject them, too," Zappone wrote.
Reporter Mathew Callaghan contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 7:08 PM.