Seattle Schools Updates

 KUOW is reporting that the Seattle Police Department has arrested "a male juvenile" who is connected to the January shooting of two Rainier Beach High School students at a bus stop in front in the school. Both students, boys, died. (Bold mine)

At a news conference announcing the arrest Tuesday, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said the suspect was not a student at Rainier Beach High School, but detectives believe there “could have been a relationship” between the suspect and the victims.

Barnes said the arrest was made outside of Seattle — though he didn’t say where — and authorities still haven’t found the gun used in the shooting. Seattle Police Department officials shared few details about the arrest or investigation, citing the suspect's age. 

As well, it looks like SPD will be around RBHS for the rest of the school year. Is that in addition to Garfield High School? 

Barnes said he hopes this case can be a call to action for the entire community — SPD included — to help prevent more gun violence, especially among youth.

“Each of these losses is profound,” Barnes said. “Each represents a future that can never be fully realized, and each should force us to confront the urgent need to protect our youth from the cycles of violence that continue to claim them.”

“We must all work in a sustained and coordinated effort to keep our young people safe,” he added.

For SPD’s part, Barnes said he’s assigned dedicated officers to patrol the Rainier Beach High School area before, during, and after school through the rest of the academic year.

 

Police are still asking anyone with information to call the department’s violent crimes tip line at 206-233-5000. Callers can remain anonymous.

 This morning two Seattle Schools - McClure Middle School and Greenwood Elementary - had voicemails left threatening the buildings. The wording was identical in both messages and left on answering machines at the schools at the same time last night. 

Both buildings were evacuated. At McClure it happened before school started. Nothing was found at either school. 

 

As well, the Seattle Times is reporting on SPS emails to/from former Garfield High School basketball coach, Brandon Roy.

Last September, three weeks into the school year, Garfield High School fired its boys basketball coach. It wasn’t just any coach.

He had led Garfield to three state championships. He is a Garfield alum whose number hangs in the rafters, a University of Washington legend and a three-time NBA All-Star. Brandon Roy is arguably the greatest basketball player Seattle has ever produced.

When Roy was fired there was no public explanation and for the last six months neither Garfield nor Seattle Public Schools has said anything about why he was let go.

Records and emails obtained by The Seattle Times through a public records request now show Roy was fired after an allegation that he was part of a recruiting push involving an NBA agent that offered a student cash, a car and an apartment if he transferred to the Seattle school.

Seattle Public Schools declined to answer questions about Roy’s firing or the recruiting allegation. 

“The District is ending your hourly employment based upon Garfield High School’s decision to move in a different direction and build a program centered on the whole child,” Hart wrote. “This is not a disciplinary action or an investigation.”

Hart wrote that Roy was welcome to reapply in the future. This was sent September 24, 2025. I suspect that SPS didn't want to use any term around firing to protect themselves from a lawsuit. 

 He also says he found out when an email was sent to parents about the situation and he says no one at the school spoke to him. I'm going to assume then, it was the district itself that let him go.  

The recruiting allegation came from a rival school — Auburn Mountainview High School — that first alerted Garfield to its concern last spring, then escalated the matter to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association just as the school year was starting in September.

Garfield Principal Tarance Hart signed the letter dismissing Roy. Hart is on leave and could not be reached for comment. 

However,

Sean Bessette, a WIAA spokesperson, said there was a reported recruiting violation, but there have been no findings by Seattle Public Schools, the Metro League or the WIAA.

“The alleged violation will be heard by the WIAA Executive Board later this month,” Bessette wrote.

Garfield Athletic Director Chris Englund said Roy is “deeply missed by the school and its students” and that he could not speak to the decision-making around Roy’s dismissal. 

Well, somebody must have had some solid evidence or why let him go? These emails may be the answer.  

Garfield girls basketball coach Roydell Smiley — previously an assistant coach to Roy on the boys team — was released along with Roy last fall. Records show there was a seemingly unrelated investigation involving the girls basketball team.

Wait, what? Another issue? 

In a shifting sports world where many college stars, and even some high school athletes, are cashing in on their fame, WIAA rules prohibit schools from using their athletic programs to recruit students. Schools are not allowed to offer financial incentives of any kind and aren’t even allowed to contact potential students about their sports teams.

Nonetheless, rumors of illegal recruiting have long been rampant. Last year, Roosevelt High School was punished — coaches were suspended, the principal was placed on leave, games were forfeited and at least six Seattle Public Schools employees were fined — for recruiting players to its football team.

The Garfield allegation was laid out in dozens of emails among school officials last year.

The allegation in the emails is about an Auburn Mountainview b-ball player who told his coach he had been recruited by Garfield High. 

What followed was a flurry of emails among Seattle Schools officials with the subject line “AC PRIV GHS Basketball Allegations,” meaning Attorney Client Privilege, Garfield High School. Several of the emails were almost entirely redacted.

Hart tried calling Roy but didn’t get a response. District leadership later told him not to contact Roy.

“Please do not speak to Brandon Roy on this, Principal Hart,” wrote Natasha Walicki, SPS director of investigations and compliance. An investigator “will reach out when he’s at that stage as this has shifted to a central office investigation.”

Garfield reported the alleged violation to the WIAA and Seattle Public Schools launched an internal investigation last June.

 That investigation should make for interesting reading and I suspect it will not just be about Mr. Roy's departure.