QVSD Claimed Exoneration Despite a Verdict Against It. Four Meetings Later, Still No Retraction.

Quillayute Valley school officials cited legal restrictions and personnel confidentiality October 27 as residents again demanded changes in complaint handling and a retraction of the board’s account of the Kari Larson lawsuit. The board offered no correction to its statement.

During board member reports, Board Chair Bill Rohde interjected as director Kevin Hinchen discussed what the board had known and what it could do. The discussion then turned to an ongoing personnel process and limits on public disclosure.

The exchange ended with assurances that a personnel process was underway, but no completion date or specific explanation of the restrictions officials cited. Residents’ separate demand to retract the board’s August 25 statement remained unanswered for a fourth consecutive regular meeting.

Ten of the eleven public commenters criticized the district’s handling of misconduct or called for changes. The remaining speaker outlined required safety training.

Hinchen began his remarks more than half an hour after public comment ended. He compared school employment procedures with those at the shake and shingle mill he had operated for 23 years. At the mill, he said, an employee who needed to be let go could simply be dismissed. School employment was different, and some matters could not be discussed publicly.

He said board members felt bad about what happened. When someone interjected, the person was told the discussion was between board members.

Hinchen resumed by expressing regret and saying board members had tried long ago to prevent the situation. He did not describe those attempts or say when they occurred.

He cited unions as a constraint. Another statement in the exchange attributed the limits to law, and Hinchen agreed. He rejected the idea that board members were the enemy and said the focus should be on why and how the situation happened.

As Hinchen said there had been nothing the board could do even after learning what was happening, Rohde interjected.

“No, Kevin, that’s not quite true,” he said.

The response that followed reiterated that the board had tried. Officials then said they were following the law and working through a process that was slow for multiple reasons. They said public discussion of personnel matters would violate confidentiality and policy. An official also offered to sit down and explain the process.

The public explanation identified no specific statute, contract provision or policy governing the asserted restrictions. It supplied no dates or details of the preventive efforts Hinchen described, and no timetable for completing the process.

Hinchen closed by describing his frustration with public criticism. He said board members were trying their best and that people believed they had powers they did not possess.

The discussion lasted about three minutes. Board reports then turned to upcoming athletic events. No motion followed to retract the August statement or begin the review of district practices residents requested.

The board had already disclosed an ongoing personnel matter in August. That statement, read by Rohde with the board’s approval, said the district did not intend to minimize the situation and did not identify the employee involved.

It also emphasized findings in the defendants’ favor and used the words “completely exonerated” about QVSD, as the Herald previously reported.

The court record establishes a mixed outcome. A federal jury found QVSD liable for a hostile work environment under the Washington Law Against Discrimination. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle’s June 2 order confirms a $249,760 verdict against the district.

Jurors rejected Larson’s retaliation claims against QVSD and coach Brian Weekes, along with her negligent-supervision and negligent-retention claims against Kyle Weakley. Those favorable findings did not eliminate the district’s liability on the hostile-work-environment claim.

Larson, a former assistant cross-country coach, alleged unwanted physical contact, offensive messages and sexually suggestive comments by Weekes. He denied the allegations. The Herald previously reported that a satisfaction of judgment filed July 2 acknowledged payment of $765,834.77, including judgments, interest, court costs and attorney fees.

Residents have also challenged the statement’s account of the investigation. At the September 8 meeting, a speaker disputed what she described as its assertion that Larson refused an investigative interview. Correspondence reviewed by the Herald showed that the district’s attorney confirmed cancellation eight minutes before the scheduled July 29, 2024, interview. The correspondence also documented disagreement over its length and conditions.

October 27’s requests concerned both personnel decisions and the district’s broader response to complaints.

Shannon Gaydeski asked what would prompt changes in how the district handles sexual harassment complaints after the jury’s verdict. She urged directors to consider whether their practices encouraged reporting or made people fear retaliation. She again sought a retraction, completion of the Title IX investigation and Weekes’ dismissal.

At the October 13 meeting, Wendy Larson had said her daughter’s Title IX complaint remained unresolved nearly three years after it was filed.

Rod Larson called for the superintendent and assistant superintendent to be dismissed. He sought an apology to his daughter and others, a retraction, and a review of past failures followed by changes in practice.

Before speaking, he tried to reposition the podium so the audience could hear. He was told to put it back and address the board. An earlier commenter had also complained that speakers were difficult to hear.

Sharon Millett criticized the August statement’s discussion of delayed reporting and incidents without other witnesses. She said those passages blamed Larson for the circumstances in which she reported harm and discouraged others from coming forward.

Millett also said facial expressions from people at the board tables conveyed disrespect toward speakers. Megan Harris later described head-shaking and a contentious atmosphere, saying residents wanted answers.

Katherine Jackson and Rob Nelson called for visible action, Weekes’ dismissal and a retraction. Both said they would keep pressing the issue and described Weekes as remaining on paid administrative leave. 

Kristen Johansen urged directors to address what she described as a broader problem in district culture and begin rebuilding public trust.

One district employee described annual safety training, saying returning employees completed about five and a half hours of SafeSchools courses and new employees about ten and a half hours. Topics included mandatory reporting, sexual harassment, Title IX and professional boundaries. Coaches also had training requirements.

A subsequent speaker questioned whether the training was adequate. Harris said she welcomed the positive student experiences described in the meeting’s athletics presentation, but those successes did not remove the need to improve safety practices.

Retraction requests at the September 8, September 22 and October 13 meetings produced no vote to withdraw the statement. October 27 brought no such vote either.

After an executive session announced as a review of public employee performance, the board returned, reported no action and adjourned. Its next regular meeting is November 10.