Parents and former students urge Quillayute Valley district to strengthen reporting and Title IX protections

Several parents and former students used the public-comment period at the Quillayute Valley School District board meeting to press the board for concrete changes to reporting, investigation and oversight of alleged misconduct by district personnel.

Rod Larson, introduced by the board as the first public commenter, said his daughter was assaulted and described trial evidence and district video that, he said, showed a staff member "inappropriately massaging and manipulating the leg of yet another high school girl." He told the board the record shows repeated failures in training, administrative oversight and consequences and said those responsibilities fall to the superintendent and assistant superintendent.

Former student Gabriela Damron, who identified herself during public comment, recounted reporting harassment early in high school and said her anonymity was compromised after she raised concerns. "Before I was even 15, my trust in this district was broken," Damron said, and she described leaving programs to avoid further contact with adults she said had not been held accountable. Damron urged the board to "work with us publicly to improve reporting practices and show concretely how you protect the students who come forward."

A third commenter, read aloud by Shannon Tedeschi on behalf of an anonymous parent, recommended structural changes including separating the Title IX coordinator role from the athletic director and assistant superintendent, appointing an independent Title IX coordinator who reports to the board or an external compliance officer, and commissioning an external investigator to review prior reports involving student-athlete physical contact back to 2010. The letter argued that when the person responsible for receiving and investigating complaints also supervises coaches and staff, "the risk of prioritizing district liability or employee protection over student protection becomes real."

Board members acknowledged the concerns; the public-record reading and requests for reform prompted discussion about whether the board should accept anonymous submissions and how to provide transparent updates while protecting confidentiality. The board did not take any immediate policy votes on Title IX or investigative structure during the meeting.