Mercer Island High School sex abuse story hit home | Hamer

Published 7:00 am Sunday, August 24, 2025

When I was in 7th grade in 1959, my sister, two years older, was in 9th grade. We were both in the same junior high school in our home town of Lake Oswego, Oregon. She was cute, popular, a good student and a cheerleader. I looked up to her. I was a geeky, pimply, skinny kid with braces on my teeth.

One day I came home from school and found my mother talking to my sister in hushed tones. Mom said they were having an important conversation. Later, when my Dad got home from work, they continued to talk privately. I wasn’t told what it was about.

Later I learned that my sister had been sexually abused by a teacher at our school. He was a respected math teacher and baseball coach. He had been with her in a classroom alone, grabbed her hand and rubbed it on his crotch. As far as I know, nothing ever happened to the teacher, although I’m sure my parents told her to never be alone with him again. I don’t know if they reported it to the administration. If so, nothing was done.

I believe that incident affected her profoundly for the rest of her life. The following year, when she moved into high school as a sophomore, she withdrew and became a different person. She didn’t study, became moody and rebellious, and started hanging out with a “bad crowd,” as my parents said. She dated boys who were known as rebels, with motorcycles, hot cars, and black-leather jackets. My parents were distraught. I was confused.

Was the incident with the teacher the root cause of her changes? Who knows? After graduation, she led a somewhat troubled life. We stayed in touch but were never really close. I tried to talk with her now and then about what had happened, but she was always reticent. She became a follower of several spiritual gurus. She had a sweet side and a goofy charm, but few close friends. She lived alone in her later years, considered a bit eccentric by all who knew her.

She died unexpectedly a few years ago of pancreatic cancer. I’m grateful that in her last years we became close again. May she rest in peace.

I’m telling her story now because of the recent revelations of sexual abuse at Mercer Island High School of young girls by a “beloved” teacher, as the headline in this newspaper put it last week. The remarkably detailed and well-documented story by Andy Nystrom of the Reporter and Moe Clark of InvestigateWest told the tale of Chris Twombley, a MIHS English teacher and newspaper advisor, who abused at least one young female student and possibly others over a period of several years.

Although some students and parents apparently knew of the incidents, no action was taken by the school administration to stop or prevent the inappropriate acts. Finally, two years ago, a victim — now an adult — came forward and described in detail what had occurred, although she asked that her name not be made public. The teacher was put on paid leave and later made to resign and give up his license to teach in Washington state, although he could do so elsewhere. No charges have ever been filed against him. The MISD Superintendent Fred Rundle wrote a public letter to parents two weeks ago only after learning that a story would break in the newspaper. He defended the district’s response. You can read his statement here.

This week’s School Board meeting on Thursday evening may bring out citizens concerned about this whole difficult situation. Several testified at the last board meeting. It’s roiled the Island in public gatherings and on social media. Some defend the school administration’s actions; some are disparaging the whistleblower; others are calling for more investigations and even resignations.

Meanwhile, the news media are expanding their coverage and more information may soon come out. Some past victims also may decide to go public, although each one must decide for themselves. Confidentiality may be their choice, as it was for my sister and our family.

On the other hand, times have changed and most people are now more willing to talk openly about such cases. And let’s face it, similar abuse of young people, both girls and boys, by older adults – mostly men – have been common in human societies for millennia. It’s a problem we have never fully faced. But we should. Maybe now is the time, at least here on our small island.

The media’s role is also being questioned. Some say the story should not have been made public or played in such a prominent way.

As a lifelong journalist, I disagree. This is a vitally important story that deserves thorough coverage and attention from all residents of Mercer Island, whether parents or not. Our children deserve complete protection from predators. Our elected and appointed officials all must take a stand and be held publicly accountable. Those involved must explain what they did and why. They must answer legitimate questions about their actions.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Full disclosure is mandatory. Transparency, accountability and openness must prevail.

What happens next? At this point, it’s almost anybody’s guess. Powerful statements calling for reform have come from several distinguished citizens. If you haven’t read the op-eds, letters to the editor, social-media discussions, and letters to the MISD administrators, you should. You must.

When I first started writing this column three years ago, I told editor Andy Hobbs that I only wanted to write good-news stories about positive things happening in our community. I’ve stayed with that pledge, but this topic demanded comment.

Still, maybe some good is yet to come out of this situation. If so, it will be a result of the robust public debate that makes democracy work, with all its faults. The media’s role is essential, and social-media have given everyone a voice. Use it. Speak out. Weigh in. Be civil. No name-calling. Stick to the facts and the merits. Don’t avoid the truth.

Because somewhere out there, my sister is listening.

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John Hamer is a former editorial writer/columnist for The Seattle Times and co-founder of the Washington News Council. He has lived on Mercer Island for 25 years and has four grandchildren, including a granddaughter starting middle school.