July 28, 2007 - Four of five members of the Hoquiam School Board won't be coming back for another term. There are three candidates for the position of board president vacated by Eileen Sterling.
All three candidates view the crisis of confidence within the Hoquiam School District in the wake of allegations involving two male High School teachers and female students as one of the most important challenges facing the district.In the Hoiness case, despite several warnings from bus drivers and others that something was going on between Hoiness and the female wrestler, the parents were never contacted. Not every candidate for the school board thinks they should have been.
Coach Todd Hoiness has pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor in the second degree, charges stemming from a relationship he had with a female wrestler he coached. He’ll be sentenced in August.
Plus, there were earlier allegations against former choir director Matt Hirschfelder, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. A trial is set for next month.
TT - LINK for Hoiness
TT - LINK for Hirschfelder
TT - LINK for more on the School District
July 27 -
The Hoquiam School Board directed the superintendent to create a new “ombudsman” system so that citizens, district employees or anyone who has concerns about teachers, staff or administrators can offer feedback “without feeling threatened,” as School Board member Dave Smith puts it.
