The Tumwater School Board work session came to a quick end Thursday evening after transgender rights activists disrupted the meeting.
The protest prompted a 911 call to police, police Lt. Jen Kolb said. No arrests were made, she said.
After the meeting ended, police arrived to check that activists had not gone into other district building rooms and escorted some district employees to their cars because they felt uncomfortable, Kolb said.
The protesters finally left about 8 p.m., she said. As many as eight police officers were in the area at various times, said Kolb, both on standby at the school board meeting but also coming and going to other 911 calls.
The Tumwater School district released a statement Friday afternoon, which also provided a narrative of the incident.
The school board meeting began with an executive session at 5 p.m, according to the district.
Executive sessions typically are closed to the public.
“At approximately 5:45 p.m., the doors were unlocked, and a limited number of the public were admitted into the boardroom to occupy the available seating,” district officials said in the statement.
“Approximately 20 individuals were seated, and due to limited capacity, others were asked to remain outside the building. Upon entry, protesters outside of the building began disrupting the executive session by pounding on windows, causing the board to disperse to another room. Due to the continued disruptions, the executive session did not conclude until approximately 6:15 p.m.”
Then the work session began and was immediately followed by a warning from school board president Melissa Beard, according to a video of that meeting.
“I’m here to say that you are welcome to be here if you are not disruptive,” she tells those attending the meeting. “Once you start to disrupt the meeting, then we will ask you to leave. If you do not leave, then we will trespass you, and then you will be forced to leave.”
Shortly thereafter, the video goes dark and music can be heard. Then Beard speaks again.
“OK, we’re going to recess the meeting,” she said.
Within minutes of the meeting’s start, “two attendees rushed to the entrance of the building, aggressively pushed past our staff member at the front door, and forcibly opened the doors to allow a large group of protesters inside,” the district statement reads.
“Protesters entered both the board room and the lobby area, creating a disruption to the meeting. The meeting was recessed and resumed in another location in the building. Protesters also attempted to access restricted areas of the building.”
At some point during the meeting, according to the video, activists began to chant, including a chant of “Trans rights are human rights!”
By 6:40 p.m., the activists exited the building and continued their protest until about 8 p.m.
“The district prioritizes the safety of all staff, students, and community members and will be reviewing security protocols in response to this incident,” the statement reads. “The district remains committed to creating respectful, inclusive spaces for civil dialogue and civic engagement.”
The protests stem from a controversial vote the board took in early March when they voted to support a WIAA policy that would keep trans girls from playing for girls’ sports teams, instead offering them the option of playing for boys’ teams.
Two weeks earlier, two Tumwater High School girls basketball players sat out their last game in protest of a trans player on the opposing Shelton High team, The Olympian reported.
Kolb said police have been on standby for the school board meetings for the past month.
