A third-grader with autism at Rising Star Elementary in South Beacon Hill stopped wanting to go to school last fall.
By December, his parents found bruises on his body. The boy, who is partially verbal, told them "Ms. Ibi hurt me," his parents reported to KUOW.
Now the teacher he named, Ibijoke "Ibi" Idowu, is the embattled president of the Seattle Education Association, and nearly 600 of her own union members have signed a petition to force her out — just weeks before a contract deadline that could trigger a strike affecting every public school in Seattle.
What the investigation found
A Seattle Public Schools Human Resources investigation completed June 17 concluded it was "more likely than not" that Idowu grabbed the student's arm hard enough to cause bruising, threw a marker that hit him in the face and tossed a hardcover book that struck a different student in the stomach, according to KUOW and the Seattle Times. The investigation drew on interviews with more than a dozen staff members, students and witnesses conducted between December 2025 and June 2026.
An instructional assistant told investigators that students would "flinch" when Idowu walked past them, FOX 13 reported.
Idowu was placed on administrative leave Dec. 11, 2025, after the boy's parents, Olla Ibrahim and Tyson Marsh, reported the bruising to principal Huyen Lam. The parents said their son had been crying at night and expressing that he did not want to go to school since October 2025.
Idowu disputes findings
In a written statement to the Seattle Times published July 24, Idowu disputed the investigation, saying it "ignores" witnesses who saw no physical interaction between her and the student and that "not one witness said they witnessed any type of physical intervention that could cause a bruise."
She was elected SEA president May 8 while still on leave. Most members voted before the investigation's findings became public.
Recall petition crosses threshold
The recall petition, filed under Article III, Section 3.5 of SEA's bylaws, had nearly 600 signatures as of Aug. 9, surpassing the roughly 550 (10% of SEA's approximately 5,582 active members) needed to trigger a recall vote. The petition grew from 187 signatures on July 24 to over 450 by July 31, according to KUOW.
The petition argues the union cannot function effectively while its president faces criminal and district investigations into serious allegations.
Contract talks and strike timeline
The leadership crisis lands at the worst possible moment. The SEA contract expires Aug. 31, and the first day of school for grades 1-12 is Sept. 2. SEA Vice President Davina Diaz, who has taken over as the union's public voice during Idowu's leave, warned in an Aug. 7 community update that members will vote by the end of August on either a tentative agreement or a strike authorization.
As of Aug. 7, the two sides had reached agreement on only 2 of 18 preliminary issues. Major items including educator salaries have not been discussed. SEA has struck twice in recent history, in 2015 and 2022.
What this means for special education families
Rising Star is a Title I school serving approximately 324 students who speak more than 20 languages. The student at the center of the case has autism and a speech delay, exactly the population that depends most on trained, trusted adults in the classroom.
Ibrahim told FOX 13 in July that her son "used to love going to school" and that "all of that has disappeared. And we're slowly working to rebuild it." The parents filed a tort claim in King County Superior Court against Idowu and the district in late July and told KUOW they do not know whether their child will return to Rising Star for the 2026-27 school year.
The King County prosecutor's office declined to charge Idowu in May, determining the conduct amounted to misdemeanor assault. The case was referred to the Seattle city attorney's office, which is still reviewing it.
Neither SPS nor SEA has confirmed whether Idowu remains on paid leave or faces disciplinary action. The district cited ongoing due process.
