Parents of Olympia appeared on a Seattle radio talk show on Tuesday to promote a petition across the Olympia Board of Education to step down in order to appoint Tarauna Reed as a member.
Alesha Perkins created a petition related to the grassroots organization Olympia School District Rescue. Her Dori Monson of KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM hosted Perkins on his show, giving her a platform to criticize Reid and the school board.
On the show, Perkins said the petition had collected nearly 500 signatures in the first two days after it was circulated. She added that her petition can be found on her OSD Rescue Facebook group page.
The online group has 587 members as of Thursday morning. However, it was listed as private, so you’ll need to request participation before you can view any content, including petitions.
Reid will formally join the Board on October 27 and will serve until December 2023. The board unanimously appointed her on October 13 after her former board member Justin McCohan vacated her District 2 seat.
Since then, some members of the public have expressed concerns about Reid’s suitability for the office, citing her past criminal record and vulgar comments directed at police.
Perkins told Monson that Reid’s appointment made him feel like he was living in the “Twilight Zone,” a reference to the science fiction television series.
“When someone presents a pile of evidence that they are wholly unfit for the position and is told that it is her lived experience and is actually an attribute, what do you do with it?” Perkins said. rice field.
In response to criticism of the appointment, the board issued a statement on November 7, defending Reed’s character and qualifications. The board also claimed it was following an appropriate process for filling vacancies, Olympian previously reported.
In 2021, Reid ran for Olympia City Council but was unsuccessful. Most recently, the lead of InterFaith Works, where he worked as an outreach and advocacy her navigator with people experiencing homelessness.
In a statement, Reid has previously addressed criticism of her and defended her ability to serve.
She described her speech against police at a rally in 2019 as an expression of human anger at police violence against black people. said a video clip.
She also said her criminal record should not disqualify her from public service. She added that her own life experiences help her better understand her family members who have similar experiences.
On Monson’s show, Perkins admitted that the school board does not have to respond to OSD Rescue’s petition, but believes her efforts are necessary.
“We have no control over what they do,” Perkins said. “For the record, it’s important to affirm that we have no confidence in you and your ability to lead this school district any longer.”
