On January 15, 2026, the following statement was shared at the Issaquah School District Board Meeting but could not be completed because of time limits.

Good evening. My name is Vanessa Lange, and I am a parent in the Issaquah School District with a child currently attending Maywood Middle School.
I am here tonight to express serious concerns regarding safety, follow-through, and communication at Maywood—particularly in how threats, Title IX–related issues, and student safety reports are addressed.
When students report significant safety concerns to staff, parents should be notified in a timely and transparent manner. Instead, many families experienced silence. On Tuesday evening, no communication was sent until parents began calling one another and law enforcement, only to be told that officers were unaware of any issue. As a parent, that was terrifying. It is unacceptable that communication only occurred after panic had already set in.
Had there been a timely, transparent email acknowledging that a situation was developing, much of that fear could have been avoided. Communication builds trust. Silence destroys it.
On Wednesday, approximately 160 students remained home because families did not feel confident that school was a safe environment that day. The subsequent message asking families to avoid spreading rumors through social media and text groups was received by many parents as dismissive. Parents were not spreading rumors—we were filling an information void created by the school.
These concerns are not isolated. Over several years, parents have observed recurring issues, including fights, bullying, assaults, and substance use on campus. When disciplinary responses appear inconsistent or limited, the message being sent to students is that there are few consequences. As parents, many of us have learned to rely on one another for information and reassurance rather than the administration—and that should never be the case.
It is also important to note that these concerns are not limited to parents. Staff members have expressed frustration with how safety issues are being handled.
Leadership matters, particularly in how concerns are communicated and managed. As principal, Erin Armstrong sets the tone and messaging at Maywood. Some actions and communications have been perceived by families and staff as minimizing or dismissing legitimate concerns raised by students, parents, and employees. This has contributed to a significant breakdown in trust.
In addition, parents are seeking clarity on whether the district’s threat assessment policy was properly followed in this situation and who conducted that assessment. These questions were formally sent via email yesterday to the superintendent, the secondary executive director, and to Principal Erin Armstrong and Vice Principal John Gardiner. As of this evening, those questions have not been addressed. This information could have been shared in a timely email to the school community and would have gone a long way toward easing fear and restoring trust.
I, along with many other parents, have reported situations we believed to be unsafe and felt that our concerns were not always fully acknowledged. The number of similar experiences shared within our community indicates a need for review.
For these reasons, parents have organized a petition requesting a third-party, independent review of safety practices and potential Title IX compliance involving ISD administration, Principal Erin Armstrong, and Vice Principal John Gardiner. In less than 24 hours, over 298 community members have signed the petition, and support continues to grow.
A strong school is not defined solely by test scores, rankings, or public image. It is defined by how seriously student safety is taken, how transparently concerns are addressed, and whether all students feel protected and supported.
Our community is asking for accountability, transparency, and meaningful change. Thank you.