New Seattle teachers union president on leave, pending investigation
A Seattle teacher is poised to become the next president of the Seattle Education Association despite being on administrative leave, following allegations from a family that she physically abused a child.
According to preliminary election results, Ibijoke Idowu, a special education teacher at Rising Star Elementary in South Beacon Hill, is leading the race to preside over the union representing about 6,000 Seattle Public Schools teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, counselors and other staff.
The Seattle Education Association board certified the election results Friday night, said SEA spokesperson Julie Popper. Any member in good standing can vote and run for president, Popper added. Members are considered in good standing as long as they are actively employed by the district and paying union dues.
Idowu has been teaching at SPS since 2021. In December 2025, she was placed on paid leave and is currently being investigated by the district, confirmed Bev Redmond, SPS' chief of staff and public affairs. In an email to The Seattle Times, Redmond declined to comment on an ongoing personnel investigation, but did confirm that the district notified Seattle Police Department about the allegations, per its own protocols that require the district to report any "suspected child abuse or neglect" to the proper authorities.
The Seattle Times contacted Idowu for comment but didn't hear back by press time.
The allegations come from parents of a third grader at Rising Star who has autism, a speech delay and is only partially verbal. According to the complaint filed with the district, they first noticed bruises the size of adult fingertips on their son's arm last October and then again in early December 2025. Using visual aids, the parents said they asked their son if the bruises were caused by an adult, and the third grader confirmed they were caused by Idowu.
The parents also contend that in December, their son's therapist witnessed Idowu throw a marker at the student's head while he was working at the whiteboard, alleging the marker struck his face and glasses.
Tyson Marsh, the third grader's father, said his son hasn't been sleeping well since the incidents, is emotionally distressed and consistently resists going to school.
"Any movement toward him is received as if you were going to attack him," Marsh said.
A handful of parents reached out to The Seattle Times in defense of Idowu, saying their children, many of whom are black and brown students with disabilities, have experienced "nothing but kindness, love and educational rigor" in Idowu's classroom. Gabrielle Norman said her son became interested in learning and began performing at grade level once he entered Idowu's classroom because of her support. Another parent, Taylor Newson, said that her son gained confidence and improved academically due to Idowu's professionalism and love and care.
A police report obtained by The Seattle Times confirms a similar picture of the allegations from Marsh, including details about the teacher grabbing several students by the arm and students complaining that it hurts them, according to the report.
On May 6, police sent the case as a statutory referral to the King County prosecuting attorney's office. "A statutory referral is unique …" wrote Casey McNerthney, the spokesperson for the prosecuting attorney's office, in an email. "Police typically send a case and identify the referral as a statutory referral when they do not believe they have evidence for prosecutors to charge a crime."
The office is still reviewing the statutory referral "with the same attention as other cases," McNerthney added, and there could be additional materials that need to be gathered. There is no charging decision at this time.
Marsh and his wife are frustrated that the school district's investigation isn't complete. In early March, the SPS investigator told the parents that "some more allegations came up that I am investigating," according to an email reviewed by The Seattle Times.
The parents retained attorney Lara Hruska and are considering litigation, pending the results of the district's investigation. Hruska and her law firm Cedar Law recently won $8 million in damages from the district for a former SPS student who was punched in the face by his middle school math teacher. The district is requesting a new trial.
"We are 6 months in on this investigation that we hope is wrapping up," said Hruska. "We understand that there have been additional allegations that have made the investigation more complicated, but 6 months should be enough time for the district to investigate and they need to share their results with the family."
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