To the editor: Hickey must resign

2/14/2018
  • CTY-WASHLOCAL02p

    Patrick Hickey's nameplate sits on the table during a Washington Local Schools board meeting on Feb. 1. Hickey was not at the meeting, and other board members voted to ask him to resign.

    The Blade/Kurt Steiss
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    • Teresa Fedor
    Teresa Fedor

    The Blade’s Feb. 1 article, “Washington Local board calls on Hickey to resign,” details that the Washington Local school board voted to ask member Patrick Hickey to resign following a Michigan woman coming forward, alleging that she and Mr. Hickey had a sexual relationship in the late 1980s. I ask that Mr. Hickey do the right thing for our students and for our district and resign from the Washington Local school board.

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    In order to change our culture — a culture in which schools, statehouses, movie sets, and streets are playgrounds for sexual assailants — we must demand better from every person sitting in elected office, from every person in a position of power, from every person, period.

    Mr. Hickey allegedly abused his position of power in order to take advantage of a girl. He must be held accountable for that.

    It behooves our school district and our leaders to not give him a free pass. As recently as 2016, when Mr. Hickey was banned from school grounds, he has shown himself to be erratic and unpredictable. His alleged relationship with a 15-year-old student puts his decision-making, and the safety of students around him, in question.

    To continue to allow him to work on the Washington Local school board puts his power ahead of the safety and security of our students. Students should be able to attend classes and sports practices without risking sexual violence from teachers or coaches.

    Thus, I will continue to stand with our families, students, school staff, and school board in calling for Mr. Hickey to resign immediately.

    TERESA FEDOR
    S. 109th Street

    Editor’s note: Ms. Fedor is the state representative for House District 45.

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