KS Gov. Kelly demands top education official’s resignation for ‘derogatory’ remarks
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly demanded Education Commissioner Randy Watson’s resignation on Thursday for making “inappropriate” comments in a virtual conference last week.
The Democratic governor said there was “no question” Watson must resign immediately.
“While Education Commissioner Randy Watson has had a long career in advocating for our children in Kansas, the State and the Kansas Board of Education must take issues of derogatory and discriminatory language seriously,” Kelly said in a statement.
The comments come a day before the Kansas State Board of Education is scheduled to meet for a closed door meeting on personnel matters. Members of the Board told The Star Wednesday the meeting was to discuss “inappropriate” remarks Watson had made.
Watson serves at the pleasure of the board, whose members are elected. Kelly has no role in hiring or firing the education commissioner, but her comments could prove influential. She has positioned herself as an ally to public education and has good relationships with educators.
Though board members did not elaborate on the nature of Watson’s remarks, a public Facebook post said the commissioner recounted a story from his childhood in which he told cousins “you have a higher chance of coming to Kansas and getting killed by an Indian” than dying in a tornado.
Jim Porter, the chair of the board, told The Star Wednesday that Watson had apologized to numerous people for the comments.
“Dr. Watson has recognized and accepted acceptability for things that shouldn’t have been said,” Porter said.
Board member Deena Horst said that Watson’s remark was “racist,” insensitive and hurtful, and out of character for the commissioner. Watson, she said, “has done so much good in education” and has always “emphasized that each child is important and we have to make sure we’re serving everyone.”
“I believe it was racist. But I also don’t believe that he is racist,” Horst said.
She said that Watson should be reprimanded and educated, but that the single remark does not justify seeking his termination.
“This is one comment. And there are a lot of politics being played at this point,” Horst said. “I like Gov. Kelly, but frankly, this sounds more like a political thing. I’d like to visit with her and find out what she knows that I don’t. But at this point, it appears it may be more involved in politics than anything else.”
Horst said that she fears losing the top education leader, saying it would be “disastrous to the field” as educators are “just finding their bearings after COVID.”
Board member Janet Waugh said the board took the matter “very seriously.”
Watson became Kansas’ education commissioner in 2015, he was previously the superintendent of McPherson USD 418.
The pressure on Watson comes as the Kansas Department of Education and the board push forward on his signature initiative, Kansans Can, which calls for K-12 schools to move away from what it calls a “one size fits all” approach.
The Star is requesting recordings of the conference from KSDE, but it’s unclear if any exist. KSDE didn’t immediately comment.
The Star’s Jonathan Shorman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 10:03 AM.
