To the Mercer Island Community

Today, MI Reporter published a story I was primarily responsible for bringing to light. I came forward because our kids weren’t safe, and school leadership chose to protect its reputation instead of protecting our children.

Some advised me to stay quiet to protect my candidacy and avoid retaliation against my family. I refused, because leaders lead, even when the cost is high. My priority has always been protecting children, not winning an election.

For that reason, I am stepping out of the race for school board. I have no doubt I will be attacked and lied about by school leaders, but the truth matters more than some political future that others care more about than the children of Mercer Island. This is not a retreat but a decision to ensure that the focus remains where it belongs, on the safety of our students and the accountability of those entrusted with their care.

The Worst-Kept Secret

For years, one fact, not a rumor but a fact, circulated in our community: there was a teacher predator in our schools. This was widely known across the Mercer Island School District (MISD) administration, the School Board, the PTA, the Mercer Island Schools Foundation, Mercer Island Youth & Family Services, and the teachers union.

Still, no action followed. The playbook was always the same: protect the district’s brand, cite “victim privacy” to withhold information, and punish parents or educators who asked too many questions. Families who pushed were retaliated against or driven out of MISD entirely.

What I Discovered

Police reports confirmed what many suspected:

  • A teacher predator with at least two police complaints and three known victims spanning nearly a decade.

  • In 2016, despite having the victim’s and reporter’s names, school leadership refused to support a police investigation, and the case was dropped.

  • In January 2024, police submitted a prosecution request to the King County Prosecutor.

  • In April 2024, prosecutors invited MISD to join a multi-victim outreach and community notification; MISD routed participation through outside counsel, blocking both.

  • The teacher was allowed to resign—making it easier to get another job—and voluntarily surrendered (not revoked) his credential, meaning he can reapply in any state.

  • He was kept on 14 months of fully paid leave (~$162,000) before resigning with a clean record.

  • He now works with Indigenous youth and collects a lifetime state pension (~$68,600/year), 20% funded by Mercer Island taxpayers.

Not the Only One

He was not the only predator. Survivors of misconduct by another MISD teacher are preparing to come forward. In total, there are reports or direct accounts of eight victims across two teachers over roughly twenty years, a decades-long systemic failure to protect Mercer Island’s children.

One survivor told police:

“My goal was to never say anything, but now that it’s come out eight years later… I think that’s the only way he would not be able to work with kids or abuse other young women ever again.”

Her courage should have been met with protection and transparency. Instead, leadership hid behind lawyers, blocked prosecutors from warning the community, and shut down a multi-victim investigation.

How Leadership Silences Critics

This isn’t just about what happened—it’s about what’s still happening.

Parents and teachers who raise concerns have been bullied, retaliated against, and even pushed off the island. On Nextdoor, local “Leads” tied to school leadership control the main Mercer Island forums, deleting safety-related posts, locking threads, and suspending accounts. On Facebook, PTA responses attack parents who ask questions instead of answering them.

Emails show the PTA Council President, my opponent for School Board District #2, has known about this for nearly two years and did nothing to protect our children, knowing full well about two reported predators. He should withdraw from the race.

The Call to Action

As a father, I cannot imagine standing by while children are hurt. Yet our school leaders, many of whom have kids in these schools, did exactly that. They have failed the most important value they claim to uphold: “Ensuring our school communities are safe and supportive.”

Now it’s up to the community. A small but entrenched group of leaders is more concerned about reputation than children’s safety. We must use our voices and our votes to remove them.

Show up at the School Board meetings on August 14 and August 28. Speak out. Submit public comments. Stand with survivors. Demand safeguards so no predator ever again walks away with 14 months of paid leave, a taxpayer-funded pension, and a clear path back to students.

Together, we can make Mercer Island schools safe, honest, and accountable.