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Residents urge immediate firing after teacher allegedly celebrated killing of public figure; board receives public comment
Summary
Residents urged the Battle Ground School District Board on Sept. 22 to immediately terminate a teacher who, they said, celebrated the death of a public figure; the board took no employment action at the meeting.
Dozens of community members addressed the Battle Ground School District Board of Directors on Sept. 22 to demand immediate action after a teacher allegedly celebrated the killing of a public figure. Speakers from the public comment period called the conduct "cruel" and "incomprehensible," said it violated district policies and urged the board to terminate the teacher rather than pause pending investigation.
The first speaker on the topic, John O'Haver, told the board: "We are calling for the immediate termination of this teacher." (John O'Haver, Sept. 22). Throughout the public-comment period, multiple speakers addressed the board in similar terms, saying suspension was insufficient and that retaining the teacher would erode trust.
What the public said - Several speakers referenced board policy 52.53 (staff-student boundaries) and policy 52.54 (staff expression) when urging the board to act; one speaker read the district policy aloud and said it provided grounds for termination. - Parents and community members described students and families as distressed; some said students had reported the matter to school staff and should be protected. - Speakers representing themselves and community groups repeatedly requested decisive discipline — including termination — and said delaying a final decision would signal tolerance for the conduct.
Board response and process Board policy presented at the meeting requires that citizens' comments avoid naming staff members in public comment, but several speakers nevertheless referenced the teacher by name; the board moderator reminded speakers to avoid discussing confidential personnel matters during public comment. The board took no formal employment action during the meeting.
Superintendent and staff responses in the meeting emphasized due process for students and staff in other contexts; the superintendent and district staff explained the district's obligations to provide notice and an impartial hearing in certain disciplinary circumstances, and said the district would follow applicable procedures. During the superintendent's nod to due process, she described notice, opportunity to be heard and (where applicable) impartial hearing officers as parts of the process for student and staff discipline.
Why it matters Speakers said immediate action would protect students and reinforce trust in district schools. Several speakers warned the board that reinstatement or prolonged suspension without resolution would prompt further public pressure and political mobilization.
Ending The public comment portion concluded with the board listening to the requests and receiving multiple written and verbal complaints. There was no recorded board directive to terminate a staff member at the meeting; staff indicated the district would follow established personnel procedures and any required investigations or hearings.
