Central Valley School District recall, Washington (2021)
| Central Valley School District recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Debra Long Keith Clark |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2021 Recalls in Washington Washington recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall three of the five members of the Central Valley School District school board in Washington did not go to a vote in 2021. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Harold Clarke III rejected the recall petitions on all grounds, saying they were factually and legally insufficient.[1]
The recall effort began in September 2021. District 1 representative Cythnia McMullen, District 3 representative Debra Long, and District 4 representative Keith Clark were named in the recall petitions.[2][3]
Recall supporters listed malfeasance, misfeasance, violating the oath of office, and the board's handling of masking and vaccine mandates as reasons for the recall, according to The Spokesman-Review. Board members disputed the reasons for recall and said they had made decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of students and staff.[2]
McMullen joined the board in 2015, Long joined the board in 2003, and Clark joined the board in 2007. All of their terms were scheduled to expire in December 2023.[3]
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
The recall petitions were filed by Rob Linebarger, a member of the Central Valley School District Concerned Parents Coalition.[2] At the time of the recall effort, Linebarger was a candidate in the general election scheduled for November 2, 2021, but he endorsed another candidate in the race.[4]
Recall supporters listed malfeasance, misfeasance, and violating the oath of office. The petitions also listed measures the district enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the board members had misused their power "by mandating the use and placement of a medical device, specifically a mask, and now require District staff to have the first publicly available mRNA vaccination as a condition of employment." Linebarger said, "What we are trying to advocate for is a choice."[2]
The recall petition against Long also said that she had lived outside of District 3, the district she was elected to represent, since 2013.[2][3]
“I feel like we have the law on our side and that we have a justifiable case,” Linebarger said.[2]
Recall opponents
Long and McMullen both disputed the reasons for recall listed in the petitions. "I look forward to defending my integrity as this process plays out," Long said.[2]
McMullen said, "I look forward to the court determining that all these allegations are spurious."[2]
In response to the allegation that she lived outside of District 3, Long said that she owned two homes in Spokane Valley but physically resided in the home that is in District 3.[2]
In response to the criticism of their COVID-19 policies, McMullen said she considered information from many sources and "voted to protect the students, staff, families and community of the Central Valley School District."[2]
Long said the board used its "best judgment in making decisions to protect the health and safety of our students and staff."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Washington
The recall petitions were filed with the Spokane County Superior Court on September 24, 2021. Before recall petitions could be circulated, the court had to rule on the validity of the petitions.[2] The state of Washington allows recalls only if the officeholder "committed some act or acts of malfeasance or misfeasance while in office, or who has violated his oath of office."[5] The Spokane County Superior Court ruled that the recall petitions against McMullen, Long, and Clark were insufficient.[1]
If the petitions had been approved for circulation, recall supporters would have had to collect signatures equal to 25% of registered voters in the districts the board members represent.[2]
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
2021 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 92 school board recall efforts against 237 board members in 2021. Recall elections against 17 board members were held in 2021. The school board recall success rate was 0.42%.
The chart below details the status of 2021 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- Central Valley School District, Washington
- Recall campaigns in Washington
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Spokesman-Review, "Judge rejects recall petition against three Central Valley school board members," October 25, 2021
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 The Spokesman-Review, "Recall effort targets three Central Valley school board members over masks, residency and more," September 28, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Central Valley School District, "Meet Your Board Members," accessed October 11, 2021
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Recall petition ‘frivolous,’ attorney for three Central Valley School Board members says," October 11, 2021
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Constitution of the State of Washington," accessed May 27, 2021
 |
State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
