Editor,

School board member Damian Greene’s resignation is a welcome development for our students and our community. He has been truly out of step with our South Whidbey values of equity, inclusion, and academic excellence.

Greene received local and national press attention for his threat to sue South Whidbey High School students for exercising their free speech rights in 2021, and he also repeated blatant lies about school enrollment, facilities and curriculum.

Greene championed three school board challengers who opposed the school district’s equity and inclusion efforts, as well as our COVID safety protections. All three were soundly defeated at the ballot box by 70% of South Whidbey voters.

Once a moderate, Greene has lurched to the far-right during the Trump years and is positioning himself for yet another attempt at higher office with the support of the now-radicalized Republican Party.

As we look toward a bright future for our schools, a future grounded in beloved community and in the best interests of South Whidbey students, we’d do well to remember the track record of Damian Greene, who will most certainly be back with a hyper-partisan, divisive agenda.

Belinda Griswold and Christy Korrow

Langley