Instead of accepting the resignation of Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson, the Kansas State Board of Education is suspending Watson for 30 days after inappropriate comments about Native Americans.
Watson submitted his resignation after the comments were made public. After an executive session, board member Ben Jones made a motion to reject the resignation, which passed unanimously. A motion from Ann Mah to suspend Watson was also passed unanimously.
Area school district administrators have declined comment on the situation, which developed as part of a Zoom meeting where Watson made an offhand remark about “Indians raiding the town.” Governor Laura Kelly, Native American lawmakers and Native tribal leaders called on Watson to resign. With the Board of Education’s decision to suspend instead, Governor Kelly says she wants to meet with Watson and Board Chair Jim Porter to determine the best way forward — calling the situation “an opportunity to build on this moment to ensure that all Kansas school children are treated with dignity and respect.”
Watson became the state’s education commissioner in 2014. He has helped to focus attention on education redesign efforts as part of the Kansans Can program throughout his tenure.
Transcript of Watson comment
“It’s always fascinating, I had some cousins from California, they were petrified of tornadoes. They’d come visit us, you know, in the summer. They’re like, ‘Are we going to get killed by a tornado?’ I’d say ‘Don’t worry about that, but you got to worry about the Indians raiding the town at any time.’ And they really thought that.”
