Vocal, profane anti-police activist appointed to school board in Olympia, Washington over public opposition

A Washington state woman with a history of anti-police rhetoric and encouraging riots has been appointed as a school board director in her city’s district.

In a unanimous decision, board members of the Olympia School District appointed Talauna Reed as director of District 2 to fill a vacancy left by a board member’s resignation in June.

Because Reed was filling a vacancy between elections, her appointment did not require a public vote, only a rough round of interviews conducted by the school board. Reed will serve the last year of the term, through December 2023.

The Olympia School District reportedly received numerous community member calls and emails expressing their concern with Reed’s appointment. According to the district, citizens expressed “support of, and in disagreement with, the board’s unanimous decision on October 13 to appoint Talauna Reed to the Olympia School Board.”

Concern among citizens has likely arisen from numerous comments made by Reed during her race for Olympia City Council in 2021, which she lost to incumbent Lisa Parshley. For example, in the months before the November 2021 vote, Reed was filmed in front of the state capitol during a rally telling the crowd to “tear everything up in this f—ing city until they do what we want them to do.”

Reed began her speech with a hearty “f— the police” and called them “pigs” before exhorting the crowd to riot-like behavior. 

Reed also spoke about Breonna Taylor and Yvonne McDonald, whom she insists were “murdered by the f—ing police.”   

Taylor was killed during a March 2020 “no knock” raid of her home by police, while a street sweeper found McDonald in 2018 outside her home; the manner of her death was undetermined.   

Aside from the video, it appears community members also question Reed’s connection to Miguel Lofland, one of the chief organizers of dozens of violent Antifa protests in the Olympia area. Lofland has featured Reed in interviews on various platforms, along with filming some of Reed’s protests. Lofland’s alleged history of inciting riots, along with Reed’s own calls for the same behavior, has many Olympians concerned about an Antifa-aligned school board member.  

OLYMPIA, WA: City Council candidate Talauna Reed has aligned herself with Antifa extremist Miguel Lofland.

During a recent event, Reed began her speech by saying “F-ck the police” then called on individuals to “tear everything up in this f-cking city.” pic.twitter.com/yjumP93OpY

— Katie Daviscourt???????? (@KatieDaviscourt) July 29, 2021

During Reed’s swearing-in to the school board last week, she told concerned citizens it was their right to comment on her appointment, just as it was hers “to oppose police brutality.”

Reed said she is “excited about doing this job and being a part of this. I am invested in this community. I am a part of this community, and I care about the city, especially the children, as you can learn so much from it.”

Olympia YWCA named her a “2020 Womxn of Achievement” with the announcement saying her “core focus is anti-racism,” a core tenet of Critical Race Theory.

According to the school district’s press release, Reed “facilitates meetings in the community where she educates audiences with tools for dismantling white supremacy in order to create a more equitable society.”

The district said her answers to the board’s interview questions stood out among other candidates, along with her “advocacy and experience working with underserved members of our community.” 

The district told Fox News Digital that school officials “look forward to working with her to address pressing equity and inclusion issues in our school district. We believe she’ll be an important voice and partner moving forward.”