‘You cannot be messaging back and forth with people’s mamas’: Gee addresses Renton coach’s dismissal

KIRO host Gee Scott argued that school administrators must maintain professional boundaries with students’ parents, regardless of whether they believe sexual messages are consensual.

On “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, Gee responded to news that the Renton School Board had dismissed Rashaad Powell, an assistant principal and boys’ basketball coach at Renton High School.

“You cannot be messaging back and forth with people’s mamas. You can’t do that, and you know you can’t do that,” Gee said.

Powell’s discharge took effect Oct. 21, according to The Federal Way Mirror. 

District investigators previously concluded that Powell more likely than not sent sexually explicit photos and messages to two students’ mothers, both of whom described the communications as harassment, KIRO 7 reported. Powell has disputed the investigation.

Gee argues consent does not erase professional boundaries

KIRO producer Andrew Lanier opened the discussion by explaining that Powell characterized the exchanges as consensual, while the mothers disputed that account.

Gee acknowledged the possibility that Powell believed the communications were consensual. But he argued that the assistant principal’s position of authority created a separate responsibility.

“If you’re an assistant principal and you tell me you’re messaging people’s mamas, what are you doing?” Gee said.

For Gee, the central issue was not simply whether two adults exchanged messages willingly. It was whether a school administrator crossed a boundary with parents whose children were under his authority.

“You are in a position of authority,” Gee said.

He urged listeners who enter leadership roles to learn from the situation and recognize that their conduct carries consequences beyond their personal lives.

Accountability without writing someone off

Gee also pushed back against treating Powell as beyond redemption.

“I don’t think he’s a monster,” he said.

He characterized the situation as poor judgment and argued that public discussion often leaves little room for someone to take responsibility and move forward.

“I think it is a lapse in judgment, bad judgment,” Gee said.

During the conversation, Gee and Lanier recalled the district offering Powell a potential path forward. The district proposed a settlement that included paid leave and a neutral recommendation letter if Powell resigned and agreed not to sue. Powell declined to sign the agreement.

Lanier questions whether scrutiny is consistent

Lanier broadened the discussion by comparing Powell’s case with another school administrator’s alleged social media contact with students.

He referenced the principal of Robert Frost Elementary in the Lake Washington School District, questioning why that situation had received less attention than Powell’s case.

“He’s still employed, and aside from us and KIRO 7, that hasn’t received a whiff of attention, and the principal still has his job,” Lanier said.

Lanier’s comparison concerned different allegations: Powell’s case involved communications with adult parents, while the other situation, as Lanier described it, involved contact with minors. He questioned whether the level of scrutiny and accountability was consistent.

Gee returned to his earlier warning that people entering positions of authority do not necessarily receive the same latitude when something goes wrong.

“Some of us get in corporate America, and they get in these positions, and we know that the margin of error is smaller than for others,” Gee said.

“I’m gonna let that sit there for a minute,” he added.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio.