PRIEST RIVER, Idaho — Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, was escorted out of a volatile West Bonner County School District board meeting on Wednesday after police say they tried to defuse the situation.
According to Priest River Chief of Police Drew McLain, it was alleged that someone during this meeting reached over to take a picture of what Scott wrote down on her notepad.
"This caused Rep. Scott to react and allegedly may have made physical contact with the citizen taking the picture," McLain wrote in an email. "Due to the size of the crowd and for safety concerns I had Rep. Scott walk outside with me to diffuse [sic] the volatile situation."
Kylie Hoepfer was at this meeting. She told KTVB that Scott was trying to get a phone out of the hand of a teacher who was recording her. Hoepfer said she saw Scott grab onto the woman's arm to stop her. Police were in the back of the auditorium and heard commotion, and that's when they escorted Scott outside, Hoepfer said.
Heather Green, who identified herself as a parent, alumna, youth coach and community member in the West Bonner School District, emailed KTVB, saying she was at Wednesday's school board meeting at Priest River Junior High School.
"I was sitting in the front row of the PRJH Auditorium. When the meeting was abruptly adjourned after seven minutes, a group of people who had been sitting to my left began clapping and walking up to the stage, clapping and making comments to the parents who were visibly upset," Green wrote.
"My friend was live streaming at the time on her FB page when this woman made a few remarks that I wasn't really listening to and made a big show of clapping at us," Green's letter continued. "She then came at my friend's phone with weird hand gestures. I do not know her intent; she seemed to be trying to get a reaction from us. But we were more shocked and thought it was just immature and odd. I was later told that the woman who was taunting us and acting so immaturely was the State Representative Heather Scott."
Green went on to say she witnessed Scott "stand or sit closely by" a news reporter covering the meeting, and said that Scott was taking notes and taking pictures of people standing around or speaking with the reporter.
"There was an incident involving a local preschool teacher and Heather Scott that I was a witness to," Green wrote. "But as I gave my name and number to the officer who escorted Ms. Scott out of the auditorium, I'd rather not comment at this time to that specific altercation."
Green wrote, in closing, "I was shocked that this woman who appeared to be making fun of us as concerned and supportive parents was an elected state representative. It's just embarrassing."
KTVB reached out to Scott via phone and text, but has not yet received a response.
Any further investigation into the alleged physical contact by Scott will be deferred to Idaho State Police, the Idaho Attorney General or another entity to avoid bias to the parties involved, McLain said in the email.
The meeting was already tense due to the controversy surrounding Branden Durst, who was appointed to be the school district's next superintendent. He previously asked the board to approve his requests, which included a $105,000 salary, 12 sick days, 20 vacation days, to be paid for any unused vacation days, the use of a car that is less than 10 years old, the district to pay for half of his PERSI retirement contribution, to work remotely, a housing allowance of $500 a month, $2,000 in moving expenses, and the ability to eat lunch at any school in the district for free.
Most people at the prior meeting opposed this. Some teachers are even losing their jobs in the district, as the budget is already tight.
The board was set to discuss possibly rescinding Durst's appointment, but voted 3-2 to strike that item from the agenda and ultimately, no action was taken Wednesday. But that didn't stop people from being vocal -- and unhappy -- about it.
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