USD 383 board requests resignation of member after social-media comment; vice president post filled

The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education voted to request the resignation of Dr. Katie Allen after a social-media comment that members and many community speakers said celebrated the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

On the motion passed by the board, members voted to request Allen's resignation by a tally the board recorded as passing (5 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention). The board later formalized the action as Resolution 25-26-9. The board also accepted Allen's resignation from the office of vice president and unanimously appointed Greg Hoyt to fill the vice president vacancy (7-0).

The board opened the meeting by describing options available to a governing body when a member's conduct draws public complaint, and it said the board cannot remove an elected member from office. The president described five options, including removing a member from board office or committees, prohibiting future office-holding, passing a resolution requesting a resignation, or taking no action.

Dr. Katie Allen addressed the board before public comment. "I take full responsibility for the words and actions that had led to this conversation," she said. She apologized, described social media's role in impulsive responses, and said, "I will not resign from the board, but I will step down from the leadership role." Those remarks were followed by a lengthy public-comment period in which dozens of residents spoke; many urged Allen to resign and described fear for student safety, while others asked for forgiveness or urged restraint.

Board members spoke after the public-comment period. Some members said they believed Allen had made a mistake but nonetheless asked for her resignation to protect the district's work, while others urged compassion or noted constitutional free-speech concerns. After discussion, a motion to request Allen's resignation passed. The board then voted to convert that motion into a formal resolution; that revised resolution also passed.

The board unanimously appointed Greg Hoyt as vice president to serve until the next organizational meeting in January. The board said it will reopen elections for president and vice president when the new board is seated.

The board chair said the district received hundreds of emails, texts and phone calls about the matter and that, after the public-comment period, the board would consider the five options presented at the start of the meeting. The board also specified that staff and the superintendent would not appear to speak on the conduct item.

Shortly after the conduct discussion and votes, the board recessed for 15 minutes and later resumed other business on the agenda.

Votes at a glance - Request that Dr. Katie Allen resign from the USD 383 board (motion/revised resolution): passed (board-recorded tally 5 yes, 1 no, 1 abstain); the revised resolution references that Allen resigned the office of vice president. - Appointment of Greg Hoyt as vice president (to serve until January organizational meeting): passed 7-0.

Context and why it matters The dispute grew out of a two-word comment posted on social media following the killing of a national public figure; community members and several board members said the comment undermined the district's stated core beliefs and harmed trust. The board's formal request for resignation is a political and symbolic action available to boards when an elected member, the public, and the board itself say a member's conduct is incompatible with the district's work. The board does not have statutory authority to remove an elected member from office; only a recall or an election can remove an elected official unless the member voluntarily resigns.

What the board said it could do At the start of the meeting, the board president listed options available to a board when a member's behavior provokes public complaint: remove the member from any board office; prohibit them from holding future board office; remove them from committee assignments; pass a resolution asking them to resign; or take no action. The board implemented the fourth option by passing a resolution requesting resignation and accepting Allen's resignation as vice president.

What happens next The board did not set a binding, immediate mechanism to remove Allen from the seat she was elected to hold. If she does not resign the seat, she remains an elected member until she leaves or is removed by a separate legal process (for example, recall where applicable). The board said it will resume its regular business and continue with other items on its agenda.