Open statement on MISD Board transparency and accountability
The MISD School Board has failed to live up to the community’s expectations regarding transparency in handling a sexual assault within the district. Many stakeholders were involved in discussions—including district leadership, the teachers’ union representatives, and presumably community representatives—yet by choosing confidentiality over communication, the board broke its promise of openness.
I served as an elected MISD school board member from December 2015 to December 2023, working with three superintendents and four different boards. While I was not personally informed of these particular incidents, across my eight years of service, one principle was consistently emphasized: transparency. When Dr. Fred Rundle was appointed superintendent, both he and the board publicly committed to communicating with the community in good times and bad. This was a “bad news” situation that required honesty — and we failed to deliver.
The district and union may believe they benefit from limiting disclosure, but the community benefits only when it is informed. Transparency is not about exposing names or compromising confidentiality—it is about sharing what happened, what was done, and what we are learning. In the past, we have communicated openly about antisemitism, threats of violence, bullying, and racial issues, while safeguarding student identities. These disclosures have allowed the community to understand, trust, and partner in solutions. This situation should have been handled the same way.
By remaining silent, the board deprived the community of knowledge that could have surfaced past incidents, prevented future harm, and reassured victims and families that misconduct carries serious consequences. Instead, our current board has been derelict in its duty to carry the community’s voice. The district and union remain at the table, but without board leadership, the public is excluded.
Some board members have long expressed a troubling philosophy: “either you agree with the superintendent or you vote to fire them.” This polarizing mindset stifles healthy debate and silences accountability. The truth is that the board is the superintendent’s final authority — and its public expectations are what empower the superintendent to act decisively and transparently.
A truly community-centered board would have recognized the importance of disclosure: respecting the privacy of the victim, empowering Dr. Rundle to communicate responsibly, and ensuring that the district confronts sexual assault openly. This board’s failure to do so represents a broken promise of transparency.
This is not an isolated failure. The sexual assault disclosure is one example; the failed bond represents another, rooted in financial transparency shortcomings. Unless addressed, the same transparency deficit threatens the passage of our critical Maintenance and Operations levy.
Our community deserves a school board that both believes in MISD’s success and has the courage to hold the system accountable. Transparency builds trust, and without it, the district cannot succeed.
Accordingly, I see only two paths forward: either the board must rebuild trust through a public apology and a renewed commitment to transparency, or it must resign to allow new leadership to restore accountability and credibility.
David D’Souza,
MISD School Board 2015-2023
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Letter to the community on MIHS case
The Superintendent and Mercer Island School Board’s handling, of at least one sexual assault case, represents a systemic failure in leadership and culture. The most serious issue is clear: they failed to protect student safety.
Their most important responsibility as leaders is safeguarding students. By that standard, they failed. The misconduct case involving a staff member was not an isolated incident but part of a toxic culture where inappropriate behaviors were well known among students and administrators. Complaints dating back years were ignored, unreported, and minimized. If students did not report misconduct, it is because they had no trust the district would act. That silence indicts the system, not the victims.
The decision to quietly place a teacher accused of sexual misconduct on paid leave for 14 months, followed by a settlement and payout, placed more students at risk. During that time, teachers could have referred families to him for tutoring or college planning support, unaware of the allegations. The claim that withholding disclosure was to protect a victim is untrue. It left many more students and staff exposed, and it misled the community.
The settlement itself, which provided a payout in exchange for his agreement not to renew his Washington teaching license, was wholly inappropriate. That agreement does not prevent him from applying for certification in another state, nor does it bar him from seeking work in Washington Tribal schools that are not subject to state licensing requirements. Due process is a timeline, not an excuse for delay or concealment. Fourteen months of inaction served only to protect the district, not students. And while the district insists its hands were tied, they could have acted sooner and more transparently. Instead, they created additional liability and further eroded trust.
The narrative presented at the recent board meeting was not credible. It contradicted facts, downplayed the scope of the problem, and read like a spin job. Superintendent Fred Rundle and the Board even tried to spin this as #ItsHerStory, when the only appropriate message should have been #NeverAgain. The truth is that the district’s actions enabled a predatory culture and prioritized reputation and bond measures over safety.
Community discussions now reference patterns of behavior: teachers known for “creepy” conduct, rooms nicknamed the “Man Cave,” and allegations circulating on social media. A school resource officer raised concerns, but they were repeatedly dismissed. Reports of misconduct go back over a decade, and the same key leaders were in place at that time. The pattern is undeniable, and so is the negligence.
The damage extends beyond one case. Social media platforms are now amplifying allegations, and new feeds surface almost daily. The district has been rotting from the inside out, and what we are seeing now is simply the inevitable result of years of neglect and concealment. Messages of safety and trust ring hollow when set against years of inaction and denial.
The community deserves accountability. Protecting a victim’s identity is critical, but shielding the district from embarrassment is not. It was not the victim’s decision to withhold information from the public. It was Rundle’s. That choice left children vulnerable, fractured community trust, and compromised the district’s credibility.
The financial implications are significant as well. By choosing concealment and payout, the district likely created additional legal risks. The delay in disclosure, from which they sought benefit, will now be their downfall as the collapse of trust consumes what little trust remains.
The path forward must begin with accountability. At a minimum, the superintendent and board members who supported concealment should resign. New leadership is required to restore confidence and begin rebuilding. The community has capable individuals ready to step in and help chart a new course.
The role of the district is clear: protect students above all else. That responsibility was abandoned, and the consequences are tragic. For the sake of students, teachers, and families, leadership change is the only way forward.
Tom Acker,
Mercer Island
