Embattled Marysville School Board member resigns
Michael Kundu, a member of the Marysville School Board who was under fire for writing an allegedly racist e-mail, told The Seattle Times on Monday he would resign from his post.
Michael Kundu, the Marysville School Board member who was under fire for writing what many charge is a racist e-mail, resigned Monday from the board.
"This is the right thing for him to do, and it's in the best interest of the district," said Sherri Crenshaw, the board president.
Mel Sheldon, chairman of the board of the Tulalip Tribes, said Kundu handed in his resignation at about 5 p.m., an hour before a board meeting. During the meeting, the board voted unanimously to accept the resignation.
"We are very, very grateful that he resigned, and look forward to some healing," said Sheldon, adding that the whole saga had been traumatic for the tribal community.
Kundu's decision came after the NAACP, the Tulalip Tribes, the Hispanic Commission and four board members asked him to resign in the weeks following a June 3 e-mail in which Kundu suggested that different races have different brain sizes and intellectual capacities. Those racial differences, he implied, help explain the school district's achievement gap.
"He crafted that e-mail, and he knew what he was doing," Crenshaw said. "His resignation is the best thing for students."
In an e-mail to the Times, Kundu said he has always felt unwelcome by the board and the school-district administration.
"That's what happens when you try to make changes
Four fellow board members asked Michael Kundu to resign.