SULTAN, Wash. — Parents and teachers called for the resignation of longtime Sultan school board member Ed Husmann after he made controversial remarks about students with special needs.
At an October school board meeting, Husmann stated that some special needs students can be so handicapped that they can't be educated.
"If somebody doesn't stand up and fight this kind of mentality, it's not going to change," said parent Heidi Dawson.
Dawson has four kids, two of them with special needs.
"Until you've lived that life, you'll never know how hard it is," she said. "It's a very intense world. Very complicated."
Husmann made the comments during a school board conversation about the high cost of busing special needs students to special schools, as mandated by law.
Husmann questioned whether busing those students was worth the cost because some of them might not be able to learn.
He later expanded on his thoughts, telling KING 5 News, "If you're going to spend that amount of money, that takes it away from the other students that are going to function in society at some point in time."
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The comments prompted a petition that garnered hundreds of signatures demanding that Husmann step down.
Parents presented the petition to the school board on Tuesday night.
"I or anyone else, for that matter, should be able to ask a financial question freely without being bullied, targeted or shamed," Husmann said at the meeting.
Superintendent Dan Chaplik said he hoped the experience would be a teaching moment for everyone.
"Hopefully, it gives a chance for everybody to examine themselves and say, 'When we move forward, how is this all going to play out? What do we stand for?'" Chaplik said.
Dawson ran a failed, last-minute write-in campaign to try to unseat Husmann from the board in the November elections. If he doesn't resign, Dawson said she'll consider petitioning Snohomish County for a recall vote.
"There's no ill will toward him. He's entitled to his opinion, but when you're on a board making decisions for all students, including special ed. students, you have to keep an open mind and stay current with policies, laws and all of the science that's out there," Dawson said.
