The recent resignation of now-former CHS Principal Dr. Liza Sejkora put an end to a long week of turmoil and stress for the Camas community. Changes are quickly happening at Camas High School, and the community is responding to Sejkora’s sudden exit.
On Monday, Camas School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Snell announced former Associate Principal Tom Morris will serve CHS as interim principal for the time being. Snell said the process to find a new principal will be lengthy, still, “Each day is a new opportunity to get back to normal,” he said.
And at the February school board meeting, teachers and community members had an opportunity to share their reaction.
While the district has already accepted Dr. Sejkora’s resignation, CHS teacher Eric Linthwaite shared that the events impacted him past the week’s end.
“I grew up in a military household so I don’t usually pay attention to my emotions and I try to suppress them as much as possible in my day to day,” he said, “but these recent events are tying my mind and body into knots.”
He said he is “scared and disgusted and horrified” of the community’s reactions, and that he never expected to see something so reminiscent of “Chinese and Russian totalitarianism” in the United States.
Cory Marshall, another CHS teacher reflected on hos social media influenced the situation. “We saw the pathetic and immature side of our town once again rise up with the social media monsters. Since proposition two last year, the number of people in our community who have chosen social media to be their chosen weapon to spread fear and hate has grown,” he said.
Members of the community, like CHS teacher Lindsey Peters, also came forward to show personal support for Sejkora and her family. “I’m saddened by what I see as the district’s lack of public support for Dr. Sejkora and devastated for her and her family.” All of the speakers at the board meeting shared the common theme of blaming social media for the animosity built up so quickly against Sejkora.
In regards to finding a new principal, Dr. Snell announced that Associate Principal Tom Morris will serve as the interim principal for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year, and that this summer he will interview candidates for the permanent position.
