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Parents and community members defend North Creek principal as board hears protests and safety concerns
Summary
Public commenters sharply disagreed over a social-media post by Dr. Eric McDowell, principal of North Creek High School: one unidentified speaker leveled accusations against the district and a local foundation, while parents defended McDowell and raised concerns about protesters on campus and the district’s response.
President Amy Cast opened the public-comment period at the Northshore School District board working session on Sept. 23, 2025, where speakers focused heavily on controversy surrounding a social-media post by Dr. Eric McDowell, the principal of North Creek High School, who is currently on leave.
An unidentified speaker declined to give a name and told the board he believed the district and Dr. McDowell "promote illegal aliens," said his children had been mistreated and accused the district’s North Shore Foundation of forcing donations from employees. The commenter also criticized the district’s land acknowledgement and said he had "a lawyer" looking into alleged payroll deductions. The board chair thanked him for his comments and reminded speakers to adhere to civility rules.
Several parents responded in defense of Dr. McDowell. Michael Lowry, a parent at Moreland Elementary, said he supported McDowell and that the principal’s message "neither promoted violence nor celebrated Charlie Kirk's death," and described the national media reaction as coordinated by critics outside the district. "He has given the awesome responsibility by parents such as myself to keep our children safe at school," Lowry said, describing McDowell’s personal connection to school-shooting losses and urging the board not to yield to outside pressure.
Other parents raised campus-safety concerns tied to protests. Peter Nagy said his son reported protesters at North Creek High School near bus drop-off and asked where to find district policy on who is allowed on campus. Ma'her Judy told the board she found protests conducted in front of schools "unacceptable" and described selective outrage as "a window into bias and prejudice." David Marcos, a former TAC member, urged caution on district planning in light of economic uncertainty and also recommended investment in AI literacy rather than rushing to adopt classroom tools.
Board members did not take action during public comment; the chair reiterated that public-comment remarks would be taken into consideration by the board when relevant agenda items arise and reminded people that legal limits prevent discussion of off-agenda topics during the meeting. The board did not announce any immediate personnel or disciplinary decisions in the session.
What's next: several parents requested follow-up about campus security policy and protest boundaries; the district said staff or board members may follow up on concerns raised during public comment.
