Don’t worry. We’re all keeping an eye on you.
That reassurance came not from a seasoned staff member or a uniformed official, but from a middle school track competitor to a teammate during a championship meet in Joyce last week—words that would later resonate as deeply unsettling in light of unfolding concerns about adult oversight.
Parent Shannon Gaydeski recounted the incident during Tuesday’s Quillayute Valley School District board meeting, explaining how students were left to monitor one another due to shortcomings among supervising adults. Her testimony highlighted the presence of Brian Weekes, a longtime track coach currently subject to an active Title IX inquiry over serious allegations involving personal boundaries. Despite being under investigation, Weekes participated in the school-hosted event without restriction. Gaydeski noted he seated himself adjacent to the middle school squad and began conversing with a student before a parent intervened.
She emphasized that children should not bear the burden of watching over staff whose conduct is already under scrutiny. Gaydeski urged the board to terminate Weekes formally, submit records to the state, and impose a lifelong ban on his access to district facilities.
The episode illustrates how safety protocols within QVSD have weakened, allowing individuals facing serious allegations to move freely among students without safeguards.
Public sentiment, voiced clearly at the meeting, underscores growing dissatisfaction with the board’s measured response. Community members stressed their desire for decisive action over procedural caution.
Earlier reporting cited a $250,000 federal jury verdict against the district over a hostile work environment—a development that has coincided with declining enrollment. Ryan Johnson, speaking directly to board chair Bill Rohde, observed that public confidence hinges on visible leadership, not just internal discussions. He pointed to patterns of repeated misconduct by staff as a threat to long-term trust and called for the board to demonstrate accountability beyond internal reviews.
Rod Larson added that the board functions like a “black hole,” absorbing concerns without meaningful feedback or follow-through. He advocated for greater openness, urging officials to move past reliance on privacy protections and instead publish data on reported incidents and resulting actions.
The district’s preference for discretion traces back to entrenched relationships within Clallam County’s leadership circles. Chair Rohde and Weekes maintain close institutional ties, a dynamic that has shaped the board’s approach to handling sensitive matters and contributed to its default posture of restraint over public disclosure.
A new investigation published by The Salt Lake Tribune highlights the extensive internal mechanisms used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to manage cases of misconduct. The report details the use of a proprietary database that tracks individuals with histories of abuse through a notation system described as a digital marker. Local clergy, specifically bishops, are tasked with identifying and recording these cases within the system.
Critics of the process argue that the system’s effectiveness is compromised by its reliance on lay leaders who often lack formal training. These local figures frequently prioritize the reputation of the individual or the image of the congregation over transparency, often keeping the broader community uninformed about past incidents. This approach mirrors the dynamics currently observed in the Quillayute Valley School District, where local officials have been accused of managing liability and limiting information flow to protect specific individuals.
In a parallel development, a legal conflict involving The Real Olympic Herald and members of the local religious community has escalated. A man associated with the Port Angeles LDS Stake recently filed a 171-page motion seeking a permanent restriction on the publication’s reporting. This legal action follows a recent victory for the newspaper, which successfully challenged a proposed penalty of $2,000 per day for its coverage. A hearing on the new motion is scheduled for May 28. The publication has stated that the costs of defending against these legal measures have depleted the funds required to retain its First Amendment legal team.
In the school district, public frustration is mounting over the pace of the investigation into a former board chair who also served as a bishop for the local Forks Ward. The active Title IX review has exceeded the 30-day timeline set by board policy. During a recent meeting, a parent questioned the board’s ability to manage the district without greater accountability, noting that families are removing their children from the school system and that students are being asked to oversee their own safety at athletic events. The board has cited confidentiality protocols as a primary reason for limited public updates.