Springfield school board chair halts speaker during public comment

QuickTake:

A parent was complaining about elementary science and social studies curriculum, currently the subject of a state investigation. The board chair interrupted her and said public comments about complaints under investigation could leave the district or board members in legal peril.

Springfield Board of Education leaders took the unusual step of pausing public comment in their Dec. 8 meeting, citing liability risk.

Sarah Bosch, a community member and parent in the district, was complaining that Springfield Public Schools administration had not responded to a letter from 75 teachers.

Board Chair Heather Quaas-Annsa stopped Bosch in the middle of her comments, saying Bosch’s comments echoed comments she has seen in open district-level investigations into complaints.

“When complaints are about individuals, what is said during public comment could have an impact on whether or not an individual has a valid claim for retaliation, bullying, harassment, any of those issues,” Quaas-Annsa said in an interview after the meeting.

She said she has a responsibility to protect the district and board from such legal risks.

The incident was the latest flare-up for the Springfield school board, which has been embroiled in controversies involving an investigation into the district’s curriculum. Actions around the investigation have prompted leadership changes and a number of complaints about board members and district employees.

What happened in the meeting

The Dec. 8 school board meeting started with a nearly two-hour executive session, closed to the public, “to review legal advice.”

Bosch, former Springfield teacher and a 2025 school board candidate, was the first to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. She spoke about the lack of a district response to her Change.org petition titled “Demanding a Well-Rounded Education for K-5 Students in Springfield School District #19,” which as of Wednesday had 586 signatures.

The petition argues that Springfield schools do not meet state standards for various subjects at the elementary level. A complaint on that same matter, filed by a Springfield teacher, is the subject of an investigation by the Oregon Department of Education. Bosch’s comments also referenced a letter on the same issue that was submitted by the 75 teachers.

“Although I started the petition 117 days ago on Aug. 13, students have been getting shortchanged for hundreds more days than that,” Bosch said. “The silence feels deafening. You’re ignoring teachers who voiced concerns over two years ago. You’re ignoring the 75 teachers who submitted a letter of concern five months ago.”

Quaas-Annsa then interrupted her.

“We have open investigations regarding these issues, and I’m not sure that it’s appropriate for the board to hear those matters,” Quaas-Annsa said.

Quaas-Annsa said the Change.org complaint “is in current investigation,” but Bosch said her petition was not a formal complaint. Later, Quaas-Annsa also said if a public comment is about a specific district employee, it should go through the public complaint process outlined in board policy.

Board policy states that members of the public can “offer objective criticism of district operations and programs” during public comment, but not offer comments about any individual district staff member.

Bosch argued that her comment was intended to address “district leadership,” and therefore conformed to district policy, as several members of the audience supported her, yelling comments such as “let her speak” and “don’t shut her up.”

“How can we get accountability if we’re unable to speak at public comment?” Bosch said after Quaas-Annsa stopped her. “Isn’t it the whole point that there’s a commitment to transparency in this process?”

After Superintendent Todd Hamilton spoke quietly to Quaas-Annsa and Bosch continued to question why she was silenced, Quaas-Annsa left the room and the board recessed for five minutes.

In those five minutes, Bosch continued her speech to the audience, outlining her plan to make a forum for district leadership, school board members and community members to talk about elementary curriculum concerns.

Bosch concluded her speech to the board after the recess and Vice Chair Amber Langworthy’s direction to leave out details about curriculum complaints.

“That just feels really icky that we have to avoid the hard stuff,” Bosch said. “No individuals are being named.”

Quaas-Annsa said after the meeting that she made the decision to stop Bosch’s comment in the moment, without any instruction from district leadership or prior knowledge of Bosch’s attendance.

An ongoing investigation

Bosch has spoken at three previous Springfield school board meetings about her petition.

The petition says the district does not give elementary school students “adequate instruction” in science, social sciences, art, health, technology and social-emotional skills and calls for the district to allot more time and priority to these subjects and ensure they have up-to-date instructional materials for science and social studies.

The Oregon Department of Education is investigating the district for curriculum compliance after a teacher appealed his complaint to the state level. The department recently extended its own deadline to finish the investigation until May.

Board leadership recently changed after district complaints against former board chair Jonathan Light and former vice chair Ken Kohl prompted board members to vote them out of their positions. In an interview after the meeting, Quaas-Annsa said since becoming board chair a month ago, she has received messages attacking her character and threatening her safety.

“I have three kids, and their safety is the most important thing to me,” she said. “And I love that people are passionate about education. My husband was a school teacher. I get it. I love that people are passionate, but personally attacking board members is not doing anything to help us improve.”

Quaas-Annsa said she encourages feedback, but until district-level and state-level investigations are wrapped up, the board’s hands are tied about the curriculum concerns.

“It’s not just being ignored,” she said. “We’re following the process. Outside parties are doing the investigation to see what needs to be fixed. And I trust that process.”

During the board meeting, members agreed on the need for “board development.” Quaas-Annsa said this will include a strategic planning process to formulate board goals. She wants to have a public listening session included in that process.

One of an Oregon school board’s primary purposes is the hiring, evaluation and firing of the superintendent. Complaints against the Springfield superintendent also go to the board.

The board can decide to hire a third party to investigate the complaint, and after receiving investigation results, “shall decide in open session what action, if any, is warranted,” according to board policy. Communication about superintendent complaints can be kept to executive sessions if the subject matter qualifies under Oregon law.

Lookout Eugene-Springfield learned in October of a complaint made against Hamilton, the Springfield superintendent. On Dec. 1, Lookout requested a copy of a complaint and Brian Richardson, the district spokesperson, said in an email Dec. 9 that the district is the custodian of the complaint but could not release it due to a personnel privacy exemption.

Hamilton was hired by the board in 2019. His contract, extended April 2023 for a second three years, ends June 30, 2026, if the board does not take action to renew it again.