Mercer Island PTA Response to 2 Teacher Predator Scandals: Attack Parents, Not Problems

Here’s what went down in the last 48 hours: 1) Two brand-new Reddit accounts (about 2 weeks old) pop into every MI Teacher predator Johnston thread. Super focused on defending PTA leadership. Tried to ID parents posting about student safety. Then poof… comments deleted or accounts nuked. 2) Alan Burnett, local attorney and ex-husband of school council candidate Stephanie Burnett (yup, former MI PTA President), hops on Facebook asking the community for a libel lawyer. A lawyer asking for lawyers in a MI Facebook community was meant to send a message to parents questioning his X Wife’s knowledge and policies on this. Don’t ask questions or else. 3) Marc Birtel, former Starbucks comms exec and public supporter of Julie Hsieh (current MIHS PTA President + City Council candidate), claims this Substack “named a victim” and that “multiple attempts” were made to remove it. The posts are still live, and no victim’s name ever appeared. Literally anyone can check. Comms 101…don’t get caught lying. Come on. Receipts are already posted.

Nobody is saying these folks got on a group Zoom titled “Silence the Parents.”

Yet the pattern feels impossible to ignore: same timing same narrative same attempt to shut parents up mirrors first MI teacher predator announcement

Parents are asking the most basic questions imaginable: • How did two Mercer Island teacher predators get protected for years? • Why attack the people asking how that happened?

Feels like some PTA friends care more about PR than protecting kids. In my opinion, anyway.

To be crystal clear: Student safety ≠ harassment Accountability ≠ defamation

All the screenshots, docs, and receipts are right on the Substack for anyone who wants to verify. No secrecy. No guessing. Just the facts people keep trying to bury.

Mercer Island tried the hush-hush routine for years.

That era’s gone. Parents are done being quiet.