Residents debate Kent School District half-staff flag decision

Residents gave the Kent School Board and Superintendent Israel Vela many reasons for and against Vela’s decision to keep district flags raised after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

In a nearly full Kent School District boardroom Sept. 24, eight speakers, during a public comment period prior to a board discussion about flag protocol, told Vela he was wrong. Six speakers, including two who submitted video comments, supported him.

A few speakers asked that Vela resign or for the five-member board to remove him as superintendent. Several people were upset that Vela didn’t follow directives from President Donald Trump and Gov. Bob Ferguson to lower flags to half-staff. Trump requested all flags to be lowered in honor of Kirk, whose following helped get Trump elected in 2024. Ferguson made the request as well and added others to honor. The school district lowered flags Sept. 11 in honor of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The controversy began Sept. 12 when the district posted on its website that it would not lower flags Sept. 12-14 at schools after the death of Kirk, 31. Kirk, a right-wing conservative activist, was fatally shot Sept. 10 during a college speaking engagement in Utah.

The initial website posting didn’t identify who made the decision to keep flags raised. After information about the post spread across the district and beyond Kent, Vela issued an email to district staff that he made the decision about the flags.

“This decision was one I made, grounded in our core values of equity, excellence, and community,” Vela said. “This choice was not made lightly, but with a deep commitment to standing by those values.

“I also want to recognize that while this decision has sparked varied reactions, many staff members and parents have reached out to express their gratitude. They have shared how this action made them feel seen, valued, and supported. It is important that we hold on to those moments of affirmation as we move forward together.”

Benjamin Huff, a district employee who attended Kent schools, backed Vela at the board meeting.

“The district is entitled to freedom of expression whether or not it aligns with directives by the president,” Huff said. “I appreciate the superintendent’s decision to keep the flag raised while lowering it for 9/11. I don’t believe it showed any disrespect to the recently deceased Charlie Kirk.”

Tom Williams, a former teacher, disagreed with Vela’s stance.

“Whether Charlie Kirk was right or wrong, the important thing is whether we are teaching people that they have a right to free speech,” said Williams, who added there were vigils all over the country that honored Kirk. “In this district, one person decided to not lower the flag. This flies in the face of free speech.”

A paraeducator at Mill Creek Middle School, who said she goes by Miss T, said as a Black woman she supported Vela and the courage it took to make the decision.

“Fifty years ago Kent was different,” she said. “Fifty years later, Kent reflects who we truly are today and when voices rise that have long been silent, you don’t get to dictate change you get to listen. …In the end, this is not about convincing everyone, it’s about standing firm with those who know this truth and affirming that our future will be built on inclusion, acceptance and belonging, not just for the dominant culture but for all.”

Miss T added she respects other may see things differently, but she doesn’t have to cosign with that.

Don Sherwood said Kirk gave a voice to those who disagreed with him. As a supporter of Kirk, Sherwood said people verbally attack him.

“I’ve been called a Nazi and a racist because I agreed with him,” Sherwood said.

Sherwood added that Vela’s decision excluded every conservative, people neutral about the issue and everyone who doesn’t agree with him.

“There should be some kind of action against the superintendent,” Sherwood said to the board.

Neet Grewal, who is running for the Kent City Council against incumbent Satwinder Kaur, opposed Vela’s decision not to lower flags.

“What upset people isn’t just the act itself but he ignored orders from our Republican president and Democratic governor,” Grewal said. “Our superintendent made this call without input from his staff, the school board and the families he’s supposed to serve. That’s radical leadership, one person imposing their will on an entire community. That’s not representative of democracy. Democracy means listening and consensus and accountability.”

Grewal said most people believe in lowering the flag to honor people when the country calls for respect.

“You don’t have to like Charlie Kirk or agree with him, but he was a victim of political violence,” Grewal said.

Grewal questioned the impact of the decision on students.

“What are we teaching our kids when we refuse to honor certain lives, what example are we setting for the next generation when politics matter more than compassion?”

Sally McDonough, who said she spent a lot of time volunteering in Kent schools, backed Vela.

“I am here for two reasons,” McDonough said. “First, to applaud the Kent School District for following the law and not bending to the recently dictated flag lowering to honor quoting Wikipedia, ‘a right-wing political activist.’”

McDonough said the second reason she was at the meeting was to let the board know she received a cellphone spam text from Grewal asking people to attend the school board meeting to honor Kirk, a campaign she disagreed with. McDonough added that Grewal also had signs outside school district headquarters promoting her city council campaign and she wondered if that was even legal.

“Stay on topic,” Grewal shouted from the back of the boardroom at McDonough after she told the board she had copies of the spam text.

Board President Meghin Margel chimed in to restore order by asking those shouting to step outside the room.

The next speakers then continued.

Dawnee Frey said that Vela should have had the flags lowered because of the political violence but rather took a political stance and ignored directives from the president and governor.

“The superintendent showed he was unwilling to represent the entire Kent community,” Frey said. “I ask for him to resign or the board move forward in removing him.”

Daniel Smith said in a video message to the board that he supported the decision by Vela.

“I recognize the kind of person Charlie Kirk was with his statements against women’s rights, against my community the LGBTQ community and a whole slew of absolutely horrendous statements. …and I deplore the effort by the current administation to turn him into a saint. Flying flags at half-staff should be done for national heroes, not for somebody like Charlie Kirk.”

Vela response

Right after the final speaker and prior to board discussion, Vela spoke for a brief moment to stay with his initial stance to keep flags raised that he said were based on Kent School District values. He said he recognized the decision prompted positive and negative responses.

Several members of the audience walked out as Vela began to speak, with one man shouting, “You’re a joke.”

Vela paused, but then continued and finished with the following statement.

“I continue to serve our students and families with integrity as I’ve done for the past 25 years,” said Vela who worked in the district prior to becoming interim superintendent in 2021 and superintendent in 2022 as selected by the school board.

Board discussion

The board discussed flag protocol after the public comment. The agenda item was for discussion only and no action was taken.

The board wasn’t involved in Vela’s decision about the flag raising and a few discussed whether a policy should be passed that the board is consulted for certain decisions, especially if it involves directives from the president or governor.

“Controversy is very subjective,” director Andy Song said. “A decision like this upset some of the community and we want to hear all voices and we heard tonight that wasn’t the case. Maybe we can put together flag protocol or on controversial topics.”

Director Donald Cook said the board should have been involved.

“We want every voice heard whether we agree or not,” Cook said. “When it’s decided by a single person without consultation with the board, when it’s something as charged as this, a decision causes controversy.”

Cook said if all five board members had input, it might have avoided the controversy.

Song said the public comment at the meeting showed the flag decision wasn’t handled well.

“The community expression is that we lost a large portion of our community who are not being heard or included and not feeling like the term equity applies to them,” Song said.

Director Teresa Gregory said the board could have helped.

“I agree when it is a directive that could cause a problem we should be consulted,” Gregory said. “People have asked for that this evening. People have said they were not represented by this. We need to look at how to address this in the future if it’s divisive so we are consulted and provide a voice from the community.”

Margel concluded the discussion by saying a potential policy could be discussed and adopted as part of a meeting planned for October about the role of the superintendent.