Community Education

Peninsula School Board suspends controversial staff expression policy

Posted on May 22nd, 2025 By: Christina T Henry

The Peninsula School Board on Tuesday suspended a policy on staff expression that employees and community members criticized since its creation last fall.

The policy set guidelines for staff conduct online, given that social media blurs boundaries between work and off-hours. During the Oct. 15 meeting at which the board approved the policy, board President Natalie Wimberley said it was a model suggested by the Washington State School Directors Association.

Teachers and others who commented before the board’s Oct. 15 vote warned that the policy was vague, ambiguous and a “slippery slope” likely to erode staff members’ freedom of expression.

At the meeting Tuesday, May 20, Superintendent Krestin Bahr said the policy originated in another district as a joint effort between union leaders and administration before WSSDA picked it up.

“So, the mechanism and how they did this was very different than how we did this,” Bahr said.

Unintended impact

Board member David Olson made the motion to suspend Policy 5254.

“I think, over the past few months since we implemented the policy, the board has heard quite a bit from the community,” Olson said. “I know I have when I’ve been out, whether it’s on the Key Peninsula or people walking by me when I’m out in my yard, but we’ve heard community comment.

Olson admitted that the policy had some “unintended impact.”

“Mostly that there’s a lot of misunderstanding, ambiguity about the policy, what the … intent was. And so, I would like to move that the board suspend Policy 5254 effective immediately,” he said, using the district’s designation for the staff expression policy. “I just don’t think it is going the way we thought it might be.”

Members of the Peninsula School Board listen to public comment during a meeting Tuesday, May 20.

Staff wary of procedures

“I think the largest question around this was always, we talked about intent versus impact,” Wimberley said.

Bahr said there were significant differences between Peninsula and the other district, which she and a task force of district representatives visited for background on their policy.

“We went up to that school district to listen to how that came to be, and it was an answer to some union concerns that were happening out in the public several years ago that they were fielding things,” Bahr said. “And they came up with this policy together with their union partners and wrote it. And then actually went to WSSDA and got it into the policy language along with the procedure.”

Peninsula passed only the policy, and staff had many concerns and questions about how procedures would be drafted and implemented, Bahr said.

Teachers, staff fearful

Policy 5254 states: “The Peninsula School Board believes the district has an interest in maintaining an orderly and effective work environment while balancing employees’ First Amendment rights to freedom of expression and diverse viewpoints and beliefs.”

Under the policy, however, the district reserved the right to discipline or terminate an employee if their self-expression “has an adverse impact on district operations” or negatively impacts an employee’s ability to perform their job.

Policy 5254 became a frequent subject of public comment at board meetings.

On Tuesday, parent Jacquie Pinkerton told the board of a conversation she had with a high school teacher after the policy passed. “We did some trauma bonding and hugged it out,” Pinkerton said. “And her expressing her concerns for what this means for a teacher’s ability to engage honestly, truthfully, consistently, without fear of retribution or retaliation.”

Pinkerton said the board has appeared defensive about the policy in response to past testimony, which has contributed to erosion of community trust. Others echoed that theme at Tuesday’s meeting.

Teachers’ union statement

Peninsula Education Association President Carol Rivera joined Bahr in visiting the district where the policy originated as part of the task force trying to answer the many questions raised by Policy 5254.

“First, I would just like to say that the suspension of the policy is something that the association welcomes,” said Rivera, who looks forward to “shared decision making, collaboration” with the administration.

“But this also is something that went through our district Wellness Committee, which is representative of every (employee) unit (not just teachers). And the concern of that was just to make sure that people are involved, and that our wellness and well-being is considered.”

Back to the drawing board

Bahr supported suspending the current policy. She said she looks forward to working with unions and other staff representatives on recommendations to the board about staff expression online and in other public forums.

“I think that what we would like to do is engage in the conversation with our labor partners and do this together, so that staff whether they’re teachers or they’re paraprofessionals or bus drivers, know what’s allowed and what’s not allowed, what’s legal and what’s not legal,” Bahr said. “Things change over time so much and so dramatically, and we have so many new people coming in that we need to be very clear.”

Chuck West seconded Olson’s motion. All five board members approved suspending the policy. Lori Glover was absent when the policy was approved.

Policy 5254 was removed from the district’s website as of Wednesday.