Petition of No Confidence Delivered to the Olympia School Board With 1200 Signatures
Speakers denounce smears of racism and cuts to the Robotics Program
There were two main themes of this month’s Olympia School Board meeting—continued opposition to Talauna Reed and budget cuts to the Olympia Robotic Federation that would lead to the end of a decade long program with a proven record of success.
OLYMPIA SCHOOL BOARD HAS LOST THE TRUST OF THE COMMUNITY
Links to clips of speakers are in the text.
A Vote of No Confidence petition with over 1200 signatures asking for the resignation of the entire board was presented by Humberto Briseno, a district bus driver. He spoke of Reed’s criminal record and inflammatory language. He says children have been put at risk and that precedence has been set for the board to become more radical.
Briseno spoke about expectations for public servants and that this has nothing to do with race but facts about Reed’s association with Antifa, calling it a domestic terrorist group.
He wants the focus on academics, not political activism. He delivered the petition, still open for signatures, directly to Ms. Reed on the dais.
A counter petition has been signed by 400 people and Briseno pointed out that no last name was required, questioning the verification process of allowing anonymous signatures.
Mark Sampson defused accusations that opposition to Reed was racially motivated by speaking to other elected officials in Thurston County who are not white and have been met with zero protests.
Sampson noted Dontae Payne, a moderate gay black man elected to the Olympia City Council in 2021. He also referenced Malcolm Miller, black Lacey City Councilmember, Latina Carolyn Meija on the Thurston Country Board of Commissioners and that Virgil Clarkson, former Lacey Mayor, was recently honored with a memorial service by the City of Lacey with no opposition.
He also cites Marilyn Strickland’s recent reelection and the election of the youngest Sheriff the County has ever had, biracial Derek Sanders.
Sampson states only 15% of Thurston county voters went for Trump so it is impossible all opposition is coming from those quarters. He said that it is just some Democrats “are not Democrat enough.”
Frank Durocher gave a short speech about watching Reed at the November meeting “intentionally mislead the public on the record about her criminal record“ being only about a bounced check twenty years ago.
He is upset that “the board did nothing to call for honesty or truth” on the matter. He states, “the board is further away than I thought in representing the values of this community.”
Teacher Matt Bell references three questions asked of volunteers, saying Directors should be held to the same standard. “Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Director Reed would have to answer yes. Have you ever been convicted of a crime involving financial exploitation including extortion, theft, robbery or forgery? Director Reed would have to answer yes. Have you ever been convicted of domestic violence or assault? Again, Director Reed would have to answer yes.”
Bell asked Director Murphy if he would approve Reed to volunteer with those answers. He also has no confidence in the board, saying “they are not qualified to be leaders of our children. None of [them].”
He also dispelled allegations of bigotry and is “upset at how carelessly racism is thrown around the room” risking diminishing legitimate claims of hateful conduct. He asks people to consider, “who is stating hate and who is stating facts.”
Bell is one of the few teachers willing to go on record and should be commended for his courage. There are many other employees who agree with him but are afraid of retribution, including losing employment or reputation.
Tommy Gallegos, a bus driver, says he works hard to keep the district in legal compliance. He is concerned that Reed will leave the district open to litigation.
He also spoke to the importance of the BLM movement saying, “the actions that we take here today are potentially making this important work toxic” and that “it’s ruining the work that needs to happen.”
As the reporter who has most closely followed Reed since 2018, I spoke about the conspiracy theory that Reed has advanced regarding the death of her aunt, Yvonne McDonald. Reed has maintained that a City of Olympia employee murdered her aunt and that several agencies have colluded in a cover up solely because McDonald is black.
The independent investigation, a summary of which can be found here, concludes there was no indication of wrong doing and that no other community member was responsible for McDonald’s death. Reed refuses to accept this and has promoted her theory in an effort to increase racial tension in Olympia and advance a personal activist agenda.
During his time at the mic, Talauna Reed’s former campaign manager, Darek Ball, took an opportunity to attack community members, calling myself, Alesha Perkins and Frank Durocher “three peas in a hateful pod.”
He goes on to read from a private communication I had with Reed in November 2021 after we both lost the Olympia City Council race. I discuss his accusations below in more depth.
Ball dismissed the speaker’s complaints as a distraction from the real work that needs to be done by the board. Despite Reed’s criminal past being documented by public record, Ball claims speakers are spreading “falsehoods.” He went on to praise Reed’s strength of character.
It should be noted that the petition or other comments were not addressed by the board despite several speakers specifically asking for a response.
OLYMPIA ROBOTICS FEDERATION BUDGET BEING CUT
Despite assurances that the program was safe, the budget for the Olympia Robotics Team is being cut. A dozen speakers, mostly students, made impassioned requests for funding, citing the multiple benefits of the program.
They stated it promoted the district’s goals of diversity and equity. One speaker said that there was an impressive number of girls participating.
The Federation meets Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays for 20 hours per week, equivalent to that of student athletes. Students and parents both attested to increased interest in school and better grades.
Many students said it has helped them build leadership as well as technical skills, that the program in not just about robotics.
They discussed what the loss of the program would mean for students, and how hard it would be to recover a decade of work, including partnerships with Boeing, SpaceX and other tech companies who provide support, internships and career opportunities.
It is my opinion these kids are being let down. There is plenty of money in the budget for DEI staff and programs while they are threatening an actual program that DOESTHEWORK with a proven record of making a difference in student’s, including at-risk, lives.
Many of the speakers can be found on this YouTube playlist.
OTHER ISSUES RAISED
Other budget issues were raised. Lisa Robischon talked about how she, and many other paraeducators, have to take second jobs to make ends meet. She said her monthly check is $1600. She has a second job and a roommate. She says the job is dangerous and difficult and the schools could not function without the help of paraeducators who work one on one with students.
Kathryn Privette discussed difficulties with the school bus system. She says there is inadequate transportation which is stressful for students and parents, especially single moms and dads. (I had a technical difficulty and missed this clip.)
Finally, Barbara Forbes, a mental health professional, spoke about gender identity and the confusion it causes in children and asked the district not participate in this harm. She says that children should be taught self acceptance. Director Siedel rejected this approach, doubling down on promoting gender ideology in Olympia classrooms.
RESPONSE TO DAREK BALL’S ACCUSATIONS ABOUT ME
Darek Ball, Talauna Reed’s former campaign manager, could have defended Reed and her record but he could not. He could have spoken about the death of Yvonne McDonald but he could not. He could have debunked my reporting but he could not. It is primary sourced and public record.
Instead Ball played the KILLTHEMESSENGER game.
Claims made by Darek Ball, Taluana Reed’s former campaign manager, were designed to smear me and other parents by associating them with me. I, as a reporter, should not be part of the story. That I am is a desperate move to discredit my reporting.
I did vote for Reed because after watching the current Olympia City Council, including Reed’s opponent Lisa Parshley, destroy my city, I could not, in good conscience, vote for Parshley.
A vote for Reed was a protest vote against the city. I had been planning to not vote in the race, but I did see Reed run an excellent campaign. She got volunteers and moderated her rhetoric in forums, partly by never bringing up her aunt’s death.
I saw her social game up close when at the Master Buider’s forum, she braided a woman’s hair when asked for something she could teach in five minutes or less. It was impressive. People were not bored!
I did not think she would win, and were she to, there would be at least some counterweight from the rest of the Council and the city manager to balance things. She would only be one voice of seven.
I will note, at the time, I was not aware of Reed’s extensive criminal history or other issues relevant to her School Board position appointment. This includes a video where Reed says she does not care about poor white people and they should go to the back of the line, troubling given that there is a large percentage of low income whites in the Olympia school district. This can be found at around 29:00 in this stream.
I wrote to Reed after the election to be gracious and commiserate in out mutual losses, it was a significant achievement just to have tried. I did this to other losers as well as my opponent Clark Gilman congratulating him on winning and wishing him well. I am a board gamer, I value sportsmanship.
Politics is not personal to me and I aim at full transparency, that is why I am addressing this.
I was sincere is my respect for Reed’s campaign and it is true that she was the second person to earn my vote, the first being Donald Trump, which was also, in part, a protest vote. Ball left that part out, perhaps as it would not reflect well on Reed to be associated with a Trump voter.
I tell that story here, going public even though I knew I was running for office and it would be used against me, because I have nothing to hide.
Ball is attempting to intimidate me into shutting down my reporting on Reed and the Olympia School Board just as Antifa tried their hardest to get me to drop out of the Council race.
He called me a hypocrite because I also said this is war and I too want to burn it down. I was expressing frustration that despite being given credible opportunity for change, Olympia voters stuck with Councilmembers who were the architects of failure of our city.
War to me is holding people accountable for real failures by truthfully reporting on the issues, not spreading conspiracy theories designed to increase racial tensions.
My weapon is my pen, not a Molotov, a brick or a gun.
It was the most punk rock thing I ever did. I am not your typical candidate, I am older, not traditionally attractive, disabled with severe untreated chronic pain and very low income.
Running for office was my ultimate rebellion against a Council that has disappointed, saddened and angered me and countless other residents. It was a prosocial way to stand up for Olympians whose voices were not being heard.
I am proud of my campaign, I said what needed to be said, including vocal and unequivocal support for law enforcement even in less than friendly forums. I also spoke the failures of homeless response that has left hundreds living in squalid encampments and the Council’s lack of urgency responding to the crisis.
It was not racism that drove my criticism of the Council and the service providers, just as it is not racism that drives my critique of Reed. It is actually racist to hold her to a different standard as the Olympia School Board is doing.
Writing that email to Reed should be seen as a testament to my character, showing grace to an opponent despite our significant differences.
I am a student of activism and I see how Reed has applied those skills effectively so that a large portion of the community believes the conspiracy theory around Yvonne McDonald’s death. I don’t approve, nor find it ethical, but I can still appreciate how she did it.
The email also demonstrates my opposition to Reed being on the school board is not personal, it has to do with Reed’s criminal record, fitness to work directly with students and be positioned as a role model.
The difference between Reed wanting to burn it down and me wanting to burn it down is I am not on the Olympia School Board and Reed is.
My off the record comments should not be an issue. But we can compare records if Ball insists.
I do not have a single criminal violation or financial judgement against me, Reed has multiples of both.
I have never committed domestic violence or had a protection order against me, Reed has both.
I have never forged a check or been arrested. Reed has even more arrests than convictions.
I have never spread a conspiracy theory or lied from the dais. Reed has done both.
My record is not very punk rock I admit.
I play by the rules. I am aggressive but I fight fair. I value truth, integrity and transparency. I stand behind my words, including those in that email to Reed. I am not ashamed of them.
As a journalist, I am continuing my work to hold those in power accountable, and that includes Reed now that she is the one in a position of power. As a fellow activist, she should respect that.
One thing I have learned is that social justice progressives do not like being the target of critique. When confronted, the Olympia intelligentsia class will lash out emotionally like Darek Ball did last night.
It’s all they’ve got.
Bullying, threats and intimidation.
They do not have the truth on their side.
Standing for truth IS punk rock.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TALAUNA REED, THE YVONNE MCDONALD CONSPIRACY THEORY AND CONNECTIONS TO ANTIFA:
Primary source documents of note:
The City of Olympia Talking Points About the Yvonne McDonald investigation can be found here.
The Antifa News Network zine on Yvonne McDonald can be found here. This was shared by Reed signalling her approval. Reed has worked closely with the author Miguel Lofland.
I report on their connections here. This article is a compendium of primary sourced including numerous videos of Talauna Reed in her own words. WARNING: The content is NSFW and may be disturbing to some viewers, especially materials related to Lofland.
In another article, found here, I discuss Reed’s criminal history in depth, including screenshots from her 90 page background check.
I have playlists of speakers on my YouTube channel from the November and December school board meetings.
Candace Mercer is an artist/writer/activist based in Olympia, WA. She has written on homeless response and political violence in the PNW. In 2021, she ran for Olympia City Council. She is currently working on a line of feminist art and writing on gender ideology.