Public Comment Continues at Third Consecutive QVSD Board Meeting

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 21, 2026

For the third school board meeting in a row, public comment at the May 12 meeting centered on ongoing community concerns related to the Larson vs. QVSD case.

Community member Rodney Larson opened comments by quoting former President Harry S. Truman: “The buck stops here.”

Larson alleged there has been a “collapse of control” within the district, with rights being trampled. He made accusations involving past incidents of bullying and other serious misconduct, claiming some witnesses later withdrew from speaking about the situations. Larson called the allegations “a sobering indictment of power structure” and urged accountability among district leadership and staff.

“The buck stops with them,” Larson said.

Erin Queen also addressed the board, sharing what she described as a positive experience involving an investigation process connected to the district. Queen expressed appreciation for how her concerns were handled and referenced favorable interactions with Richard Kaiser, an attorney and private investigator who has at times been contracted by Washington school districts. She acknowledged that navigating such processes can be especially difficult in a small community.

Pam Gale said she had not originally intended to speak but felt compelled to respond. Gale stated she was dissatisfied with her interaction with Kaiser, saying she felt conversations were steered in a particular direction and influenced. She described the experience as negative while adding she was glad Queen had a better outcome.

During the meeting’s spotlight presentation, Cheryl Archibald shared information about a program that takes Forks students on college tours to expose them to higher education opportunities.

Student Trenston Pope spoke about his own experience, saying he once did not believe college was possible for him. Pope will attend Western Washington University this fall to study finance.

Archibald said former Forks students at the colleges that are visited often help with the tours.

“Kids get immersed in the program,” Archibald said. “They do breakouts with students from all over.”

According to Archibald, approximately 70 students have participated in the program over the last three years.

The board also discussed the district’s recent financial audit. Officials reported the audit cost the district approximately $26,000 and resulted in a clean audit with no findings.