Federal ruling against school district spurs community outcry

A federal jury has awarded $250,000 to a former employee of the Quillayute Valley School District, finding that the district fostered a hostile work environment. That verdict appears to have emboldened residents, who are now pressing for accountability.

At a recent school board meeting, parents and community members confronted district officials about allegations of misconduct stretching back decades, demanding an end to what they describe as a pattern of evasive conduct by the administration.

New video accounts from local residents have added to the scrutiny, suggesting that problems within the district are linked to overlapping power structures involving the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Accounts of harm

Two videos posted online feature a local mother describing her family's experiences. She portrays a close-knit community where religious loyalty can take precedence over objective morality, and where institutions meant to safeguard children instead shield those accused of wrongdoing.

Support for a former employee

A former para-educator with the district pleaded guilty to the ongoing sexual abuse of a 13-year-old student. Court documents indicate she told detectives the abuse began inside a middle school classroom before moving to other locations. She is serving a 102-month prison sentence.

The woman has extensive family ties to the Port Angeles Stake of the LDS Church. The mother in the videos, who provided images to show her own longstanding connection to the local LDS ward in Forks, described how church members responded after the woman was charged.

She noted that, historically, some members of the LDS community in Washington State defended serial killer Ted Bundy after his 1975 arrest. She stated that Bundy had undergone an LDS baptism in Utah, and that following his arrest, members of his ward wrote to him in jail, including cards signed by children in the congregation.

The mother displayed screenshots of Facebook comments made under posts by the former employee's mother. She stated that prominent members of the local church praised the woman after she was incarcerated, with comments such as "doing so well" and "awesome job." One commenter, identified as the wife of a local LDS bishop, wrote: "That is so wonderful. So excited for her."

Community members have reported that church members are writing letters of support to the woman while she is in prison. The mother in the videos condemned this support, stating: "People who rape children do not deserve 'happy Thanksgiving' or 'great days.'"

Allegations within the district

The mother said her own family experienced harm inside district facilities. She stated that in 2022, her son was sexually harassed and assaulted by two male students at school. She alleged the boys used pencils to poke him and directed "disgusting, disturbing fantasies" at him.

When she attempted to hold the students accountable by gathering documentation, statements, and witnesses to present to the Chief of Police, she said the district intervened to manage the situation.

District Practices Spark Parent Pushback Over Student Safety

A Sequim mother, identified as Tolliver, removed her children from the Quillayute Valley School District after a series of incidents she says illustrate a pattern of institutional resistance to addressing student harm. According to Tolliver, district officials—including her son’s middle school principal—repeatedly obstructed her efforts to ensure her children’s safety, citing student privacy as justification for withholding information and documents.

This dynamic aligns with broader district operations, as detailed in a recent federal complaint filed by another local parent. That filing underscores how the district often downplays serious incidents, including physical and sexual assaults, to limit its exposure to liability.

In one instance, a Port Angeles mother reported that her son endured a sexual assault in the middle school locker room. Title IX Coordinator Kyle Weakley reportedly dismissed the concern, describing the behavior as “cherry picking” and “something that boys do to each other in fun.” Later, when the family escalated complaints about alleged retaliation by Coach Trevor Highfield, Superintendent Diana Reaume reportedly introduced pressure by threatening a counter-investigation unless the family withdrew its concerns.

Faced with what she viewed as systemic reluctance to hold alleged perpetrators accountable, Tolliver opted to withdraw her children entirely and transitioned them to homeschooling.

Leadership Structure Draws Scrutiny

Tolliver traces the roots of these practices to the district’s top leadership. She points to Bill Rohde, chair of the QVSD School Board and also a member of the Forks LDS Ward, as someone aware of her son’s experiences yet inactive in offering support.

Another focal figure is Brian Weekes, a longtime coach whose influence in the district coincides with a growing body of community concerns. A federal jury recently concluded that Weekes fostered a hostile work environment for former coach Kari Larson, awarding Larson $250,000 in damages. Testimony from that case revealed patterns of harassment and stalking spanning years.

Community members have since highlighted how Weekes’s conduct allegedly extends across nearly three decades. In sworn deposition testimony, Weakley acknowledged advising Weekes to avoid “stretching” female athletes—not for the athletes’ benefit, but to insulate both parties from potential accusations.

Tolliver’s observations reinforce long-standing local concerns: Weekes combined coaching authority with spiritual leadership, having served as Bishop for the LDS Forks Ward. In that role, he officiated Tolliver’s wedding and held sway over both religious and educational spaces.

Institutional Safeguards Prioritize Church Interests

Weekes’s dual responsibilities placed him within a framework that emphasizes institutional preservation when addressing abuse. Under LDS General Handbook Section 38.6.2.1, bishops are instructed to contact a centralized help line—rather than civil agencies—when abuse comes to light. This system connects bishops to legal and clinical staff at church headquarters in Utah, reinforcing a model where internal guidance often supersedes external oversight.

A 2022 national investigation by the Associated Press spotlighted how church attorneys from Kirton McConkie, a major Salt Lake City firm, have advised bishops to withhold reports of child sexual abuse from civil authorities. Their recommendations rely on state laws that exempt clergy from mandatory reporting obligations.

In Washington, the LDS Church has actively supported efforts to preserve those exemptions. While Senate Bill 5375, enacted in May 2025, sought to remove the legal shield for clergy reporters, the church responded swiftly, backing federal litigation contending that the reporting mandate infringes on First Amendment protections.

In October 2025, the state Attorney General executed a legal stipulation agreeing to suspend enforcement of specific reporting mandates, a move that effectively preserved a statutory gap following sustained advocacy efforts. This development leaves residents of Forks grappling with unresolved questions regarding whether Tammy Leask disclosed her abuse of a 13-year-old student to a local bishop. The community is also questioning if legal counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints utilized state clergy privilege statutes to obscure a pattern of predatory behavior within a public school.

The decision by Elizabeth Tolliver to share her experience provides a personal dimension to the ongoing examination of Clallam County’s institutional structures. Her account suggests that the deficiencies within the Quillayute Valley School District are symptomatic of a wider culture of concealment that spans from school administration to the Clallam County Superior Court.

This pattern is notably visible in the proceedings presided over by Judge Brent Basden, who is currently under review by the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Basden, who previously held the position of Stake President for Leask, did not remove himself from her criminal case. More recently, he assumed jurisdiction over a matter involving a local church member charged with child sexual abuse and wildlife violations, as detailed in a complaint filed with the judicial conduct board.

The complaint further alleges that Basden heard testimony from the spouse of a colleague within his bishopric. It also claims that when a non-member attempted to alert authorities, Basden threatened the individual in open court, remarking that involving law enforcement worsened the situation. Additionally, the filing asserts that other local church members interfered with police investigations by retrieving and concealing children to shield accused individuals from criminal responsibility.

These institutional failures rely on the passive cooperation of the wider community. In small towns where leadership roles in schools, religious organizations, and the judiciary overlap, challenging the status quo often carries significant social consequences. Jon Tolliver, Elizabeth’s husband, stated that he supports media attention that disrupts the silence, describing quietness as a form of compliance.

He described the fatigue associated with challenging a self-contained system, particularly when the community response is largely indifferent. He noted that the general lack of concern serves as evidence that the situation has become normalized.

Jon also highlighted the specific challenges faced by Indigenous communities, citing centuries of marginalization and jurisdictional gaps. He compared the issues in Forks to those in Neah Bay, stating that the latter faces more severe injustice. He observed that Indigenous residents often lack consistent legal protections and may disappear without resolution, noting that several individuals have gone missing in the area.

These testimonies align with broader data indicating a long-standing crisis in Washington. According to figures from the Washington State Patrol, 108 Indigenous individuals were still listed as missing in the state as of April 21, 2026. The accounts from the Tollivers, combined with numerous judicial and administrative complaints, illustrate the human impact of the systemic issues documented in earlier reporting.

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