"Your Story Now": Community Responds to MIHS Abuse Claims

Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations

At the August 14 meeting of the Mercer Island School Board, Superintendent Fred Rundle, school board members, and community residents addressed the recent coverage of sexual abuse allegations against a former high school teacher, Chris Twombley. The discussion centered on the district's response to the situation and the broader implications for student safety and privacy.

Superintendent Rundle issued a prepared statement condemning Twombley’s actions as “appalling, beyond inappropriate, and a violation of the trusting responsibility.” He acknowledged the community's emotional reactions, stating, “your feelings of shock, disbelief, anger, confusion, betrayal, and sadness are real and justified.” Rundle emphasized that the district’s primary focus has been on honoring the student involved by safeguarding her privacy, protecting other students, and following legal procedures.

Board Director Deborah Lurie highlighted her professional legal duty as a mandatory reporter. She stated, “I am required by law to report allegations of abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities.” Lurie expressed approval of the district leadership’s handling of the situation, emphasizing that the key question was whether leadership acted with sound judgment, adherence to the law, and a commitment to student safety. Her answer was a resounding yes.

Maggie Tai Tucker, speaking on her own behalf rather than as Board President, shared her concern for respecting the victim’s privacy. She disagreed with claims that the misconduct was covered up, noting, “When a public records request was made, the district released the records. That’s pretty much the exact opposite of a cover-up.”

Board Director Cristina Martinez stressed the importance of supporting survivors. “Please know that you have a community behind you, and we are supporting you, not him,” she said. Martinez added, “This should have not happened to anybody, period,” and urged the community to take this as an opportunity for change.

Board Director Jody Lee noted that the district honored the victim’s requests for confidentiality and ensured Twombley would not return to teaching. She criticized the way the incident was publicized, saying, “It is beyond the pale for someone to take information they learned in a confidential setting and present selective details for political purposes or to settle scores.”

Board Director Dan Glowitz disagreed that the publicization of the alleged sexual abuse violated the victim’s privacy. He argued, “The one thing that I take issue with is this idea that the only way to protect the identity of the victim is to protect the identity of the perpetrator.” Glowitz also criticized the severance agreement that allowed Twombley to retain pension benefits, claiming the district had issues with transparency and cover-ups.

Public Input Reveals Sharp Divides

Several residents and PTA leaders emphasized the importance of confidentiality during the meeting. Mar Brettman, vice president of advocacy for the PTA council, stated, “Confidentiality is not only respectful, it is essential for safety.” She warned that sharing a survivor’s story without consent could be as traumatic as the assault itself.

Kim Florence, vice president of advocacy for the Island Park PTA, addressed the victim directly: “You own your story, not the Mercer Island Reporter, not any candidate for office, not even MISD.” School board candidate Julian Bradley echoed these concerns, saying, “Our community has now failed the affected student twice. First, by failing to protect them from gender-based abuse by a trusted educator, and again by publicizing this story against their explicit wishes.”

Leslie Malakoti and Frank Schott also voiced concerns about victim privacy. Malakoti urged the community to “step back from keyboards” and engage in conversations about balancing the public right to know with the victim’s right to privacy. Schott called for referring sexual assaults to the police and stressed that “terminations without settlement are incredibly hard to achieve in this day and age.” He claimed the district took every step to ensure Twombley would not return to teaching.

Other speakers were more critical of how the district handled the incident and demanded greater transparency and accountability. Robert O’Callahan, a school board candidate, called the district’s actions “a betrayal of trust” and demanded an independent investigation and the resignation of key officials.

Former board director David Myerson and former PTA president Joci Besecker expressed frustration over the 2015 allegation that was reportedly ignored. Myerson stated, “It boggles the mind that it was essentially pushed under the rug.” Besecker criticized the district’s actions, calling it “inexcusable” to prioritize protecting a predator over protecting children.

Some warned of broader issues within the school culture. Elizabeth Buckley, a court-appointed special advocate, and Ashley Sternberg, a parent and volunteer, cited anonymous comments on Reddit about other inappropriate teacher behavior. Buckley urged the community to avoid dismissing these concerns as political, while Sternberg noted that such incidents are more common than people realize.

Tom Acker, a former city councilmember, described what he saw as a “pattern of neglect” and told the board, “You guys have become the story now.”

The meeting highlighted the complex balance between transparency, privacy, and accountability in addressing serious allegations of misconduct.