River City teacher says he will leave as students and parents tell board vaping, vandalism and lack of support are driving staff away

James Culligan, a River City High School math teacher, told the Washington Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 27 that he will leave the district, citing unsustainable conditions on his campus.

Culligan, who said he has taught 14 years at River City and led AP statistics and other programs, told trustees: “This is not normal, and our students deserve better.” He urged board members to visit River City unannounced to see students vaping in hallways and bathrooms, unlocked restrooms used for substance use and frequent disorder during passing periods.

The resigning teacher’s remarks were followed by public comments from students and parents that painted a similar picture. Elijah Stone, a River City freshman, told the board: “Students shouldn't feel unsafe or be forced to hold it for an entire school day because their school can't enforce their own school rules.” Parent Jen Stone Iisberg said basic needs such as bathroom access and water stations must be met before higher-level goals can be achieved.

Board members acknowledged the comments during the meeting’s public comment response. Superintendent Hildreth said trustees and staff are listening and that “work that we will be doing and need to do” is necessary so “everyone deserves to have a safe school with their basic needs met.” The board did not take immediate formal action at the meeting on the specific concerns raised.

Why this matters: public comment from a veteran teacher and multiple students highlighted safety and discipline issues at River City High School, including vaping, alleged inconsistent discipline, bathroom closures and on-campus substance incidents. Those problems are directly tied to teacher retention and student learning conditions.

What board members said they will do: trustees and the superintendent referenced the district’s ongoing work on school climate and safety, and several board members asked staff for follow-ups — including requests to bring more granular, school-level data and to examine security and discipline practices. No new policy was adopted at the meeting.

Next steps noted during the meeting included staff review of site-level discipline practice and plans to share survey and site data with principals so schools can develop localized action plans. Students and parents also asked for visible, near-term steps from site leaders to communicate expectations and consequences for serious infractions.

Ending: James Culligan closed his public comment with gratitude to his students and a plea the board “fix it, please, before more teachers make the same decision that I have.” Trustees and district leaders said they would continue to review the concerns and that school safety and student supports are priorities but did not announce a specific timeline for board-level actions in response to the comments.