To the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Board of Directors:

On February 15, 2023, during a public school board meeting, from his position of power as an elected official representing the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, Director Richard Hendricks spoke out against school district policy 3211P, a policy focused on inclusion and acceptance of all children regardless of gender, gender identity, or gender expression. Director Hendricks’ comments were uneducated, transphobic, and borderline hate speech. His comments were abhorrent and in complete opposition to the school district’s values and commitment to serve ALL students, and commitment to equity.

The district has a non-discrimination policy that states: “The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District does not discriminate in any programs, services or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or serving animal by a person with a disability.” 

Director Hendricks’ comments rise to the level of discriminatory behavior on the basis of gender expression or identity and we demand the School Board censure him during the next public school board meeting. The silence, so far, from the Board on this matter has sent a message of condonement and has broken trust with members of the community, families, and students.

Additionally, we demand that Director Hendricks step down from the School Board effective immediately. If he fails to take this action on his own, we request the other school board members immediately strip him of his seat on the Policy Committee, as he has demonstrated that his personal bias against members of this community and certain children attending schools in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District interferes with his ability to be objective. Additionally, we believe that Director Hendricks should be censored during all future school board meetings and any other public meetings involving the school board, for the remainder of his term and any subsequent terms he may be elected to.

We strongly recommend that the Board of Directors develop and adopt a code of conduct, and that all Directors be required to adhere to it, or face Board imposed sanctions. We request that any code of conduct developed prohibit the use of all bias or hate speech toward any federally protected class and all classes listed in the district’s non-discrimination policy. We strongly believe that any code of conduct should also include all the Individual School Director Standards listed on page 16 of the Washington State School Director’s Association’s School Board Standards (https://wssda.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/WashingtonSchoolBoardStandards.pdf).

Being an elected school board director is a very difficult position that comes with a great amount of responsibility and duty. First and foremost is the duty to help ensure all children in our community receive a good education in a safe environment that is free from discrimination. The integrity and values of the district and Board were tested, and you failed. The community and our children require that you acknowledge the harm that was done and do better moving forward.