Student Accuses School Board Members Of Bullying After Teacher Turnover Protest

A student at Ponderosa High School in Douglas County is accusing two school board members of bullying and intimidating her after she organized a student protest over high teacher turnover.

During the public comment portion of Wednesday night's school board meeting, 15-year-old Grace Davis said board President Meghann Silverthorn and vice-president Judith Reynolds visited her at the school for a meeting about the protest back in March.

There was no other adult present but Davis recorded the conversation.

The board members were very harsh with their tones," Davis said. "They made me feel little and basically told me that since I am a student I am not properly educated to practice my 1st Amendment rights as an American."

At last night’s meeting, Wendy Vogel, who also sits on the board, said she listened to the recorded meeting and found it “appalling.”

Vogel and two other board members called for the resignation of Silverthorn and Reynolds, but the board majority opted for an independent investigation instead.

Silverthorne said she and Reynolds had had "no opportunity to talk about this matter. This is quite a spectacle, it’s really quite remarkable."