Manhattan parents, residents renew calls for board member Katie Allen to resign over social media remarks

Dozens of parents and residents addressed the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education on Oct. 15, urging board member Katie Allen to resign after social media posts they said celebrated the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Speakers described Allen's posts and subsequent remarks as harmful to the district's students and staff, and said the board should impose consequences or the community would pursue a recall. "Resign," Melissa Rhodes told the board near the end of a multi-hour public comment period.

Public comment matters to the district because community trust and the board's ability to govern rely on perceived integrity and impartiality, speakers said. Many called for immediate steps: removal from committee assignments, formal sanctions and clear conduct standards for board members.

During the roughly three-hour public-comment block, parents and other residents recounted social media posts and reactions they said followed Allen's comments. Tammy Knox told the board she found Allen's apology at a prior meeting inadequate and said Allen "refuse[s]" to step down despite a previously approved board resolution asking her to do so. Brad Schoen said he obtained police-call records and described three 911 or non-emergency police contacts made by Allen the day of the posts, saying she asked officers to trespass named individuals; Schoen said he obtained the information through an open-records request.

Multiple speakers said the posts amounted to celebrating a human death and compared the conduct to standards applied to staff and students. Several speakers urged remaining board members to follow through on earlier warnings and to rescind or limit Allen's roles until community confidence is restored. Some commenters emphasized community healing and urged listening and dialogue, while others urged decisive action.

Board members did not take formal action on public comment at the meeting. The board explained at the start of the public-comment period that "No action will be taken by the board at this meeting" on items not on the agenda and that citizen remarks would be referred to administrators for follow-up.

The meeting record shows an extended, sustained public response: speakers repeatedly returned to the same core requests'that Allen resign or be further sanctioned and that the board adopt clearer conduct rules for elected members. Several commenters said they plan further civic steps if the board does not respond.

The board's response at this meeting was limited to listening and making clarifications about procedures; no motions or votes took place in response to the comments.