Klamath County School District board upholds trespass notice against parent

The Klamath County School District Board of Directors voted Aug. 21, 2025, to uphold a trespass notice against parent Samantha Ames following a special meeting and a hearing on the matter. The motion, made by Board Member Katie Bruner and seconded by Steve Lowell, passed 4–0 with Marc Staunton absent. "I move to uphold the trespass notice against Samantha Ames and extend the same modification offer made by the Superintendent on June 18, 2025," Bruner said as she moved the motion.

At the hearing, the parent described going to Henley Middle School to ask a teacher if her daughter could use a cell phone's talk-to-text feature because the student said she was not adequately trained on the district-provided device. The parent said she and her daughter were told the teacher was outside, the parent did not have an appointment, and that they left when the teacher asked them to. The parent said she expected a follow-up email from the teacher but instead received a trespass letter. The parent told the board she had remorse for approaching the teacher rather than an administrator and said she will limit future communications to email. She also said she refused a modification offer from Superintendent Glen Szymoniak because the proposal would not work for her and her children, who she said are autistic.

Henley Middle School Principal Kathleen Todd told the board the school secretary had told the parent an appointment was required and that the teacher was leading class outside; Todd said the teacher and students felt uncomfortable with the approach and that she was supporting her staff and ensuring student safety. Todd referred to board policies KK and KGB and read what she described as derogatory statements the parent made about the teacher; she also said there is a substantial history between the parent and the teacher.

Superintendent Glen Szymoniak told the board that the student's use of a personal cell phone is addressed in the student's individualized education plan (IEP) and that IEP decisions are made by the district special services team and are not subject to modification by the school board. When asked about the length of the trespass order, Principal Todd said it remains in effect "until canceled in writing."

Board Member John Rademacher asked whether the parent expressed remorse; the parent said she did and that she plans to restrict communications to email. Board members emphasized that the board's role was to determine whether administration followed district policy, not to alter IEP determinations. The board voted to uphold the trespass notice and to extend the same modification offer previously made by the superintendent.

The meeting adjourned at 4:35 PM. Any future consideration of revoking the trespass order, the board said, would be handled by the school administration.