COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- There are new calls from some students and parents for the resignation of three Widefield School District 3 board members.
The controversy has been months in the making, stemming from allegations that students overheard the three board members speaking negatively about LGBTQ+ and special needs students.
Wednesday morning, around 30 students at Mesa Ridge High School held a walkout calling for the members to resign.
The controversy started at a December school board meeting. During public comment, a former and current student said they overheard a conversation at an IHOP involving Board President Greg Fisher and members Dave Dock and Tina West.
The two accused the board members of calling gender-neutral bathrooms a waste of money and using pronouns a waste of time. They also said they overheard hurtful words about students with disabilities.
"Essentially their way of describing special education students fell in line with how apparently all they do was urinate, defecate and scream," the former student said in public comment.
Though the school board did not respond to the allegations at the meeting, they spoke on the allegations at the next board meeting in January.
"Each and every one of us felt shocked at what was stated," said President Greg Fisher. "It's not in the best interest of the board to refute or argue the statements made. We apologize for the negative interpretation of our conversation felt by the students."
Fisher did not deny the comments were made but argued they were taken out of context.
However, following that statement, large groups of teachers, students, and parents spoke out against the board's alleged comments and called for them to resign.
Later on in the meeting, the board president said none of the members intended to resign.
Wednesday, the school district told us the three board members are meeting with groups of teachers and students to rebuild trust.