Parents and students press Academy District 20 board to address member's conduct and lawsuit after student forum

Dozens of parents, students and staff used public comment at the Academy District 20 Board of Education meeting to press the board to address conduct they say traumatized children at an Oct. 2023 student-led candidate forum and to condemn a lawsuit filed by board member Derek Wilburn against a parent.

Speakers at the Jan. 9 meeting — including students who attended the October forum, the parent who says her child was traumatized and several other parents and community members — described a pattern of conduct they said has not been acknowledged by the board. Student speaker Connor Lesh told the board, “The video on which this is done is still up on the official academy district 20 YouTube channel to view today.” Parent Bernadette Pittman said her granddaughter later “had a panic attack” when she saw the man who traumatized her; Jim Pittman said the lawsuit against the parent was filed Dec. 10.

Why it matters: Commenters said the episode raises questions about student safety at public events, the board’s enforcement of its own governance policies and whether elected officials should be held to a different standard than district staff.

In public comment, Elizabeth Guthrie said, “Students in d 20 are held to much higher standards than you hold each other,” and others called for an apology or resignation. Student Safran Stevens framed the dispute as a civic concern: “Public officials are entrusted with serving their communities, not silencing them,” he said. Multiple speakers argued the lawsuit is an attempt to silence criticism; Rob Rogers noted a community legal fund had raised money to support the parent’s defense.

Board response and next steps: The board did not take immediate disciplinary action at the meeting. Trustees discussed governance policy reviews: Vice President Salt and Board President (listed in meeting roll calls as “Mister Sault”) were named in public remarks as participants in an upcoming review. A board member who presented the monitoring report for GP 4.12 (process for addressing perceived board member violations) said she would review GP 4.10 (board code of conduct) with Vice President Salt and present it in February. Several speakers and public commenters asked for faster, clearer action.

What was not decided: No vote to censure or remove any trustee was taken tonight. Speakers asked the board to demand an apology from Wilburn and to enforce conflict-of-interest and conduct rules; the board set a timetable to revisit GP 4.10 in February but did not adopt an enforcement action at this meeting.

Context: Multiple commenters said the Oct. 2023 forum included passages they considered explicit and inappropriate for young children and that the board member read them in front of elementary-age students. Parents and students said the material and the lack of apology caused lasting distress. Several speakers also noted other governance concerns, including missed meetings and questions about trustees’ outside roles.

Ending: Board members acknowledged the public comments and recorded the request to bring GP 4.10 forward in February for further review. Members of the public said they will continue to press for formal accountability and for the district to protect students at public events.