High Court Reverses Bribery Ruling in School Board Scandal
The State Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for three men accused of attempting to bribe a school board member with $5,000 to reconsider a textbook vote.
The Thurston County Superior Court's decision regarding the charge of attempting to bribe a member of the school board has been reversed. The indictment alleged that Edwards, Sullivan, and Eames attempted to bribe a board member named Leach with $5,000 to move for a resolution to reconsider a vote on school books. The respondents argued that the state constitution limited the executive officers of the state and that bribery of a school board member was not a crime under the code. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the indictment was sufficient and that the members of the school board were public officers. The court held that the legislature did not intend to abrogate common law regarding bribery and that the board had the power to reconsider its actions. The judgment of the lower court was reversed, and the cause was remanded for trial.
“The members of this board are certainly public officers under any definition that can be found of the term public officer.”
This 1892 case highlights the early, intense political battles over school governance and textbook selection in Washington. Today, school board meetings remain a flashpoint for civic debate, though the stakes have shifted from direct bribery to modern concerns over curriculum transparency and public oversight.
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