Public commenters urge transparency after depositions; allege systemic Title IX and safety failures

During the public-comment period, two speakers urged the Benton County Board of Education to address alleged systemic failures in student safety and Title IX compliance.

Nikki Holland told the board that trustees had been given access to sworn deposition testimony she said revealed a broader pattern of neglect, misplaced priorities and a "culture of silence." "When children aren't protected and when district resources aren't used as intended, that's not just a failure of policy. It's a failure of integrity," Holland said, and she called for transparent investigations, clear explanations of how complaints are handled, and accountability that reaches "where it needs to reach".

Another speaker, Harla (read as Harley in the transcript) Little, delivered an emotional personal testimony about the difficulty of sharing a traumatic experience and the need for survivor voices to be heard and taken seriously. "My name is Harley Little, and I have a story," Little said, and urged the board to listen to those whose accounts have previously been ignored.

The board thanked the speakers but did not record further public responses, remedies, or a scheduled follow-up during the meeting. No district staff provided a formal response during the session, and the transcript records the chair offering reminders about the next meeting and closed the public-comment portion.