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Residents and DEIB members urge more transparency after superintendent contract decision; board hires third‑party reviewer
Summary
Public commenters accused the board of opaque process around the superintendent’s contract decision, and two community members said they resigned from the district DEIB committee; the board reported it has engaged ClearRisk for an independent review and will schedule meetings with the vendor.
Several community members told the Pullman School District board they want clearer, evidence‑based decision making after recent action on the superintendent’s contract and said the controversy has prompted resignations from the district’s DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) task force.
“I came and spoke from the heart by what I believe to be true,” said Corina, a Sunnyside Elementary special education teacher who also serves on the Albion city council. Corina disputed social‑media characterizations that she was asked to speak on the superintendent’s behalf and said she was not fearful for her job.
Megan Otani, who said she resigned from the DEIB task force, told the board: “It appears that this decision was not based on evidence, evaluation data, or a transparent public process,” and urged the board to ground decisions in the district’s stated values and in law.
Board leaders acknowledged the public concerns and described steps the board has taken to respond. The chair said the board has “reached out to a third party, ClearRisk,” to review allegations that board policies or procedures were violated and to meet with board members and staff to clarify next steps. The chair said they are coordinating dates with ClearRisk and will report back to the public when the vendor’s schedule is confirmed.
The public comments followed chair remarks earlier in the meeting that three members had resigned from the DEIB task force; the chair said the district will solicit applications to fill those openings.
The board did not take formal action on the superintendent contract during the public meeting. The chair announced the board would move into an executive session later in the evening; the board stated no action would follow that executive session.
Why it matters: The superintendent and DEIB committee are central to district operations and to implementation of equity initiatives; community members who worked on the district’s DEIB effort said a breakdown in trust and lack of visible evidence for major personnel decisions undermines that work. The ClearRisk review is the next procedural step the board said it will use to address concerns and clarify whether formal process changes are needed.
What’s next: The board will report scheduling details for the ClearRisk review when available and decide any follow‑up agenda items (including possible policy or procedural changes) in future public meetings.
