A Pasco principal likely went too far when she suggested that a teacher should be held to a higher standard of conduct because of their role as a union leader.
Virgie Robinson Elementary School Principal Maria Sandoval also likely broke labor relation laws when she discouraged the same employee from talking about position cuts and discussing workplace concerns with their peers, an investigation from the Washington Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) found.
The issue stems from an April 2024 email and meeting involving Sandoval, union representatives and a 5th grade teacher. The educator, Gerald “Gerry” Brazington, had fair and protected questions about school purchases and job security, PERC determined.
“Although the district does not agree with that conclusion, we accept the decision and will abide by it,” Assistant Superintendent of Legal Services Sarah Thornton said at the March 10 school board meeting.
“District policies require all staff to communicate with respect and professionalism, and the principal did not intend to interfere in any staff member’s protected union activity — she simply meant to remind the impacted staff member of this expectation when speaking with colleagues,” Thornton said in a statement.
The January decision and order resulted in Pasco School District placing workplace notices in its public schools, and it was required to read a statement into the school board record.
The complaint was just one of nine allegations the Pasco Association of Educators (PAE) teacher union made against the district in 2024 over alleged bargaining and employee rights violations. PERC ultimately concluded the other eight did not violate Washington state labor laws.
PAE President Maria Lee declined to provide comment for this story.
Pasco teachers discuss book vending machines, job cuts
Brazington worked as a 5th grade bilingual teacher at Robinson Elementary during the 2023-24 school year. He was also a building steward and served on the union’s executive board.
Sandoval requested a meeting with Brazington and union representation in April 2024 to discuss two issues.
Sandoval had expressed concerns over comments Brazington made about how a coworker had approved the purchase of a $2,000 book vending machine.
“Brazington had questioned the coworker, a librarian who served as the ASB advisor, about whether the students had voted on using the ASB funds for the book vending machine,” documents read.
Sandoval had explained that his inquiry made the teacher feel like “she did something illegal or something wrong,” according to documents.
But Brazington said in testimony his conversation was “not to inform her that she did something wrong,” and that he had been asked about it by someone from the Washington Association of School Business Officials.
The second issue involved an interaction Brazington reportedly had with another fifth grade teacher during a professional learning team meeting.
During conversations about downsizing staff for the next school year, Sandoval claimed Brazington told a newer teacher that they were likely on the chopping block, which caused the teacher to cry.
Brazington later explained that the 5th grade team had previously discussed how to keep the teacher on, knowing that this person might be “bumped down to another grade level.”
PERC investigators found there was no testimony showing Brazington acted inappropriately in discussing the workplace job cuts.
“There is a lot of love and appreciation between us, and I was dumbfounded that this was brought up at all, and my team members that were in that meeting also were upset that this was brought to this point,” he said in testimony.
District ordered to retract principal’s email
Sandoval also sent Brazington a followup email the next day.
PERC found that letter to include implications that he was being held to a higher standard than his peers due to union activity. As part of corrective actions, the state commission ultimately ordered the school district to “retract the email.”
Sandoval wrote that “colleagues see you with respect and because of your leadership roles your words carry weight.” She also invited Brazington to share concerns directly with her, rather than co-workers when he has concerns of fund usage as to not “stress out a colleague by making them feel they did something wrong.”
But PERC found those comments made by Sandoval could “reasonably be perceived as a threat of reprisal or force, or a promise of benefit, associated with protected union activity.”
“Brazington has the right to have conversations about workplace concerns with his colleagues without being required to first share them with management. Directing Brazington not to discuss concerns of process or fund use with his coworkers inappropriately interferes with Brazington’s right to engage in protected union activity,” PERC’s decision read.
“Similarly, Brazington had the right to discuss seniority and its effects on layoffs with his colleagues. Discussing how contract language and seniority affect employees is a clear example of employees engaging in union activity. Pointing out that the least senior colleague would be the person who would lose their position due to a reduction in job positions was a form of protected union activity,” the decision continued.
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