Port Angeles School Board may censure director for alleged violations
Published 12:05 pm Tuesday, June 16, 2026
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board will consider a resolution on Thursday to formally censure Director Nancy Hamilton over a series of alleged policy violations, the most serious of which is a claim she disclosed confidential details from an executive session — a potential violation of a state ethics law for public office holders.
The allegation stems from a June 11 letter Hamilton emailed to the board and district counsel supposedly exposing details of a May 26 executive session that was listed on the agenda under a state law that allows boards to meet behind closed doors with legal counsel to discuss litigation or potential litigation, according to the eight-page resolution.
Under state law, participants in an executive session are prohibited from disclosing what is discussed in those circumstances.
The board claims the disclosure exposed the district to legal liability and may have waived attorney-client privilege by making details of a protected legal discussion public.
In her letter, Hamilton said the board used the pretext of potential litigation to hold the private session when the real purpose was “to discredit me and my work,” according to the resolution.
“As I am the only Native American on this Board, it is hard to see this attack as anything other than an attempt to silence minority voices on the Board,” she wrote.
The board disputes both claims.
The resolution states that, between December 2025 and May 2026, Hamilton sent Superintendent Michelle Olsen 17 emails containing multiple information requests about district operations, including finances, transportation, contracts and capital projects. One email contained 56 separate inquiries across seven attachments.
The requests were “so voluminous, complex, and/or repetitive as to disrupt district operations” and violated board policy that defines the role of individual board members — specifically that individual members have no independent authority to direct staff or conduct administrative audits.
The resolution also states Hamilton made inaccurate statements at the May 21 board meeting, including claims that Olsen was not trusted in the community, had a reputation for retaliating against people who complained about her and that previous board members had not conducted business in public.
If passed Thursday night, the resolution would not strip Hamilton of any authority or duties as an elected board member. She would retain her seat and her vote. However, it warns that additional censures would follow if her alleged conduct continues, and that the board could seek a court injunction barring her from future executive sessions — the closed-door meetings where the board discusses sensitive legal matters, personnel issues and potential litigation.
Such an injunction would leave Hamilton present for public meetings but shut out of private deliberations.
Hamilton defeated incumbent Mary Hebert in the November 2025 general election by nearly 13 percentage points.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
