COUPEVILLE: Schools impacted by ‘Minority Rape Cult’

Jessie Stensland reports from the Coupeville School District for the Whidbey News-Times.

The suspension of a principal and vice principal in the Coupeville School District is related to their responses to a “Minority Rape Cult” in the high school and a middle school student sharing a video of an alleged sexual assault, according to documents obtained through a public records request.

The records show that three students were expelled and as many as 11 others received short suspensions in relation to the two unrelated incidents.

Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood announced in December that she was placing Principal Geoff Kappes and Vice Principal Allyson Cundiff on non-disciplinary leave pending an investigation. Last week she announced that Springy Yamasaki, a former principal in Federal Way, will temporarily take over their administrative roles.

Leatherwood did not reveal details of the investigation. She declined to comment on Monday. Speculation in the community, however, has been rampant.

They Said It

In a Dec. 12 email to Kappes and Cundiff, Leatherwood made it clear she wasn’t happy about how they dealt with the issues.

“I want to reiterate the serious nature of the recent ‘Cult’ or ‘Rape Club’ incidents and the pornography incidents,” she wrote. “It’s clear that this is a significant safety issue, and I’m concerned about the judgment shown in handling these matters.”

[Ed. Note: For more details on this story, read the whole thing on the Whidbey News-Times website.]