Chapter 11 - THE BOARD PRESIDENT HAD TO CHOOSEPreston Ward faced a conflict.
Board president.
Father of disciplined student.
He initially tried to participate in closed sessions about the investigation.
Outside counsel stopped him.
Recusal.
He hated it.
Then emails surfaced showing Crowe had copied him on several previous complaints involving Tessa.
Not full details.
Enough.
One email:
Tessa again. Handling quietly. No need for formal board concern.
Preston replied:
Appreciated. She’s under pressure with college preparation.
That was not an explicit order to cover anything up.
But it reinforced the culture.
His daughter’s future received more weight than other students’ current safety.
Preston eventually resigned as board president.
Remained a parent.
No public flogging.
No school renamed after Kaia.
Just conflict-of-interest rules strengthened.
May you like
Good governance is often boring.
That was the point.
