Kansas governor, indigenous leaders demand state education commissioner resign over offensive comment

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) and several Indigenous leaders on Thursday demanded that the state education commissioner resign after he made an offensive remark about Native Americans, The Associated Press reported.

“There is no question that Randy Watson must resign his position immediately,” Kelly said in a statement, according to the AP, adding that the Kansas State Board of Education “must take issues of derogatory and discriminatory language seriously.”

Watson’s comment came during remarks he delivered over Zoom during a two-day conference on virtual learning last week, according to the AP. He told a story about cousins from California visiting him in Kansas and being “petrified” of tornadoes.

He said: “They’re like, ‘Are we going to get killed by a tornado?’ And I’d say, ‘Don’t worry about that, but you got to worry about the Indians raiding the town at any time.’”

Three Native American lawmakers and the chair of one of the Native American nations located in Kansas also called for Watson to step down from his position in education in response to the remarks.

Kansas state Rep. Ponka-We Victors-Cozad (D) said that Watson’s comment was “racist,” while Prairie Band Potawatomi Chair Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said that Watson’s remarks revealed he “is not suited for a leadership role,” according to the AP.

Rupnick continued: “Commissioner Watson is responsible for guiding our future generation forward, but that cannot happen when he’s ignorant to the diverse history of our youth.”

State Senate Education Committee Chair Molly Baumgardner (R) defended Watson’s character, saying that despite his remark, “I think his compassion for learning and for kids is without question,” the AP reported.

The board and other lawmakers have “always had open, honest communication” with Watson, Baumgardner said.

A special meeting of the state school board will be held Friday to deal with the matter, the AP reported.