By the Associated Press:
Gov. Laura Kelly and indigenous lawmakers are calling on Kansas’ top public school administrator to resign after reviewing video of him making an offensive public remark about Native Americans.
Kelly and three state House members issued their statements Thursday after the State Board of Education called a special meeting for Friday to discuss Education Commissioner Randy Watson’s remark during a conference on virtual education last week. A Kelly spokesperson says she has seen video and the lawmakers said they have too.
Kansas’ state school board has scheduled a special meeting for Friday to discuss personnel issues. The meeting was set after Education Commissioner Randy Watson made what one board member called an inappropriate remark during a conference last week.
State Board of Education member Ann Mah said that the board was taking Watson’s comments “very seriously.” She said Watson had reached out to her after the comments but she couldn’t share exactly what Watson said in his remarks.
Watson did not immediately return a telephone message or email Wednesday evening seeking comment. The 10-member elected board appoints the commissioner to run the State Department of Education.
