EDITORIAL: Resignation of trustee was necessary

Allie Anderton made the right call when she resigned from the Coeur d’Alene School Board on Wednesday following her Easter morning arrest on allegations of driving under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Even though these are charges at this time, and Anderton has not been found guilty of them, she needed to leave her seat on a board where trust means everything. Guilty or not, that trust erodes with such an arrest as this one. Anderton's ability to serve on the board had been damaged beyond repair.

Elected officials are, and must be, held to a higher level of accountability. Their actions, their words, even in private, are magnified because of the position they hold. They represent the people and to do that successfully, they must avoid doing anything that casts doubt on their ability to make good decisions and to be considered responsible leaders. 

It was not a good decision by Anderton to be out driving at 1 a.m. Sunday and catch the eyes of Post Falls police, who pulled her over because a taillight was out, according to the Idaho Education News. 

According to the IEN report, the arresting officer “quickly suspected she was intoxicated when she struggled to find her driver’s license and had slurred speech, according to court documents. 

“The officer searched Anderton’s person and found a piece of burnt tinfoil in her jacket pocket along with a dollar bill that had a white powder residue on it, according to court documents,” IEN reported. 

That the situation involved allegations of drinking and driving is bad. When drug paraphernalia is also part of the charges, that’s worse. 

Anderton had served the district since being elected in 2021 and her term was slated to expire in December. We applaud her commitment to education and her willingness to serve on the school board. Like her fellow trustees, she did not receive any financial compensation. She donated hours of her time on behalf of students and staff. For that, we thank her. 

Anyone who seeks public office deserves credit for trying. And anyone who is elected to public office deserves respect with the understanding they are held to a higher level of accountability than those in the private sector.

That same person holding office must be aware that what they say and do, not just as a board member but in life, will be scrutinized. And when they make mistakes, guilty or not, there will be consequences.