VIDEO: Watch MISD Student Safety & Well-Being Webinar

(Left to right) PTA Council President-Elect Debbie Nelson, PTA Council President Sarah Karim, Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle, Assistant Superintendent, Compliance, Legal Affairs & Human Resources Erin Battersby, and MIHS Principal Nick Wold in the MISD boardroom conducting the student safety and well-being webinar.

Mercer Island, WA, October 30, 2025 – The Mercer Island School District and Mercer Island PTA Council held a Student Safety and Well-Being webinar on Wednesday, October 29.

PTA Council President Sarah Karim and PTA Council President-Elect Debbie Nelson asked questions of Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle, Assistant Superintendent, Compliance, Legal Affairs & Human Resources Erin Battersby, and MIHS Principal Nick Wold for over 90 minutes.

The questions were selected from over 270 submissions by more than 150 community members. Using AI-assisted topic sorting, the PTA identified the five most frequently asked areas of concern:

• Communication & Transparency (Starts at 12:13 of video)
• Independent Investigation & Oversight (Starts at 32:26 of video)
• Student Safety & Reporting (Starts at 37:35 of video)
• Culture & Prevention (Starts at 1:09:53 of video)Accountability & Leadership Decisions (Starts at 1:27:27 of video)

The PTA has a new Google form for community members to share follow up questions or comments after watching the webinar.

A summary of topics and representative questions is available on the MI PTA Council website here.

The purpose of the webinar was to answer questions from our community about student safety and well-being after the news of sexual misconduct allegations against former MIHS teacher Curtis Johnston and inform our community about the tangible steps MISD is taking to protect students in the wake of this news. 

Mercer Island PTA Presidents reached out to their members to gather questions and concerns from families that Sarah and Debbie addressed in the webinar. Our PTA’s involvement ensured our community’s voice was fully represented in this webinar on student safety and well-being.

The questions asked in the webinar are listed below.

Communication & Transparency (Starts at 12:13 of video)

Who has the responsibilities for the different types of investigations? What are the differences and common areas across the police department, school district and state?

What is the role of the union in regards to where investigations fall in their agreement? Who oversees these investigations to ensure independence from those involved?

What’s the current status of MISD’s investigation into Twombley and Johnston, and does it include interviews with faculty, staff, current students and former students? How do you decide who to talk to?

How long will Mr. Willecke be on leave?

What prompts the district to inform the community about potential misconduct, and how was it handled in the cases of Twombley and Johnston? Was the district aware they continued contact with students after leaving, and what steps will be taken in the future to prevent similar situations? 

Independent Investigation & Oversight (Starts at 32:26 of video)

Why is there not a dataset that includes historical data on all flags ever reported on teachers, by category of flags? When Johnston resigned/retired why did that not flag a investigation to go back and look at his file?

Will the district conduct an independent audit of all past misconduct cases and make findings public (with victim identities protected)?

Student Safety & Reporting (Starts at 37:35 of video)

On social emotional and academic well-being of students: What resources are available for student support and well-being, including academic support, safety training, mental support and so on? What are the different mechanisms for anyone to report concerns without any retaliation?

What are the steps the district takes to protect students after they make a report?

Can the District clarify what specific information is required for a report to be considered “credible” and trigger an investigation?

For example, we know that everyone who works in MISD is a mandatory reporter. But what does this mean exactly, since it is such a gray area and families are not clear?

How can we be reassured that the “man cave” culture is being addressed now at MIHS? 

Culture & Prevention (Starts at 1:09:53 of video)

How does the district ensure that education about healthy relationships includes information on coercive control and non-physical forms of abuse?

If there is an independent audit happening and a committee happening, where is that overlap? What does that look like?

Are there clear district policies prohibiting teachers, coaches, or staff from using private messaging platforms to communicate with students?

Did Johnston’s college application consulting business while teaching violate district policies?

Accountability & Leadership Decisions (Starts at 1:27:27 of video)

We know there are employment laws/union protections, state laws, etc. that limit or hamper what actions the district can take. Can you identify some of those roadblocks for us?

Will there be regular reporting to the school board (in public session) on the number and types of investigations? Can we implement compliance audits and annual random audits checking whether staff are following policies?

How will the district involve parents and students in future safety committees or reviews? What are the next opportunities for community input and transparency?