Mercer Island School District reopens investigation after news report; teacher placed on leave, police and CPS reports filed

District leaders told the board they are reopening a case after a news article published earlier in the day alleged an inappropriate relationship between a former Mercer Island High School teacher, identified in reporting as Curtis Johnson, and a student from the 2010'11 school year.

Administrators said the district took immediate actions after the article circulated. A current teacher, David Wilkie, was placed on paid administrative leave pending a review of whether the staff member failed to report information related to the earlier allegation. The district also reported the matter to law enforcement and to Child Protective Services and has engaged the district's risk-management team to arrange an external investigator.

The district said it would convene an independent, community-inclusive committee to review policies and procedures. The committee membership, administrators said, will include students, parents, district staff, representatives from King County and the county's sexual-assault response partners, OSPI and other external experts. The district said an initial meeting of the group is planned for November.

Administrators described a day of intensive outreach: school leaders held faculty and student-leader meetings; students said administrators asked them how they wanted the school to respond. "What do you want the administrative response to this to be? What do students want to know?" student leader Brady said the administration asked, and students reported in the meeting that staff responded quickly and were available to answer questions.

Board members and numerous public commenters urged full transparency, an independent investigation by outside counsel or a firm experienced in educator misconduct cases, and release of past investigative records related to prior allegations. A former board member urged the board to consider an independent board-level committee.

Administrators stressed the legal and procedural constraints that govern investigations and records release and said they would follow mandatory reporting law and best practices. They described the new external investigation as "brand new" and said the district would cooperate with law enforcement while also working with community partners on supports for current students.

The district said it had filed an initial police report via King County dispatch (which routed information to the relevant precinct) and that Child Protective Services received a report. Officials also said they had asked their risk-management vendor to assign an independent investigator to avoid conflicts of interest.

Public-comment speakers pressed for quick release of all district investigative files involving the named teachers and asked whether any personnel or supervisory failures at the time allowed alleged misconduct to continue. Board members acknowledged the community's anger and said they would involve external experts and student voice in the committee work.

No criminal charges or civil outcomes were announced at the meeting. Administrators said they would provide further information to the community as the inquiries proceed and would follow both legal confidentiality rules and best-practice transparency where permissible.