Parents and staff press Westminster board on Girl Scouts omission, school safety and allegations of abuse during public comment

At the Westminster School District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 19, three public commenters used the public‑comment period to raise concerns about representation, site safety and serious personal allegations.

Tina Costaso, an employee benefit technician, told the board she watched a district PIO video that prominently featured Boy Scouts and scouting achievements but did not show Girl Scouts. "As a parent, as someone who's been a Girl Scout for over 30 years ... that silence landed heavily," she said, urging future district messages to reflect all students.

Marilyn Eastman, a teacher at Clay Elementary, returned to the board to press unresolved safety and staffing classification concerns she first raised in 2024. She asked whether Clay Elementary is operating in full compliance with district policy and state classification requirements and requested written verification and supporting documentation showing staffing aligns with approved job classifications and that access control and supervision practices meet district safety standards.

A third commenter, Tina Tapia, a Westminster alum and resident, made extended remarks alleging past abuse and trafficking in the community and described personal experiences she said spurred her activism. Those assertions were presented as the speaker's account of personal history; the board did not investigate allegations during the meeting. President Johnson acknowledged the seriousness of threats and described protective steps taken in specific cases, including a restraining order restricting the commenter's campus access.

Board members did not take formal action on the public comments during the meeting. Trustees and staff acknowledged the concerns: staff said internal follow‑up processes exist for safety and compliance issues, and the board noted that individuals may approach the district with proposals for how to include organizations in programming. The district did not provide on‑the‑record findings about the trafficking allegations at the meeting.