Woke Seattle teachers' union president 'more likely than not' physically abused special needs student, investigation finds - but neither superintendent nor union boss will condemn her

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:44, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 17:48, 28 July 2026 A Seattle teacher who was recently elected to be the district's union president 'more likely than not' physically abused a special needs student - but she remains in her role, an investigation has found.  Ibijoke Idowu, 36, was found to have allegedly physically grabbed a special education student at Rising Star Elementary School, leaving the third-grader with bruises on his body, a probe conducted by a Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Human Resources investigator found.  The investigation, which concluded on June 17, found evidence to substantiate that Idowu had allegedly abused the child while she was his teacher, according to documents reviewed by Fox 13.  Further allegations, including Idowu yelling at students, throwing objects, such as books, at them, and pulling children's hair, also came to light during the probe. Those claims were not proven due to insufficient evidence, the outlet reported.  Idowu has vehemently denied all the allegations made against her, and the school district has not announced a final decision on her employment.  She remains on paid administrative leave for her role as a teacher, and her name is not listed on the Rising Star Elementary School's website.  Idowu, a mother-of-two, remains the president of the Seattle Education Association (SEA), where she represents around 6,000 district employees.  Allegations against Idowu first surfaced in October 2025, and again in December of that year, after the student's parents said they discovered bruising on their eight-year-old son's arm, according to the initial investigation report reviewed by the Daily Mail.  Ibijoke Idowu, 36, 'more likely than not' physically grabbed a special education student at Rising Star Elementary School, leaving the third-grader with bruises on his body, an investigation report has found The report reviewed by the Daily Mail included distressing images of bruises on a student that were allegedly made by Idowu The boy, who has autism and a speech delay, once enjoyed going to school, but started to dread it after the alleged abuse by Idowu, his heartbroken parents said.  'He used to love going to school,' his mother, Olla Ibrahim, told Fox 13. 'He loves learning. He loves completing his work.  'You can see his smile when he does finish and get something right, and all of that has disappeared. And we’re slowly working to rebuild it.'  The impact of the alleged physical abuse has also affected their son outside the classroom, his father, Tyson Marsh, said.  Marsh told the outlet: 'He’s always been sensitive to physical touch, but even now we have to be even more cautious in terms of asking him or letting him know in advance that we’re going to touch him.'  The public report, which was shared by Marsh online, also included distressing images of the bruising his son allegedly experienced.  Images of a hardcover book, titled the Last Stop at Market Street, was also a part of the report. According to the documents, a teacher recalled a student telling them: 'Look, this is the book Ms. Ibi threw at my stomach.'  Images of a hardcover book, titled the Last Stop at Market Street, was also in the documents. A student told another educator that Idowu allegedly threw the book at their stomach, according to the investigative report Marsh and Ibrahim (pictured) said they decided to publicly share the district's findings because they want to help other families and students who might be experiencing similar alleged treatment Detailed interviews that Rising Star Elementary School Principal Huyen Lam had with Idowu's colleagues were also in the report.  During one discussion, an instructional assistant told Lam: 'I said before it gets intense sometimes.  'She can be vocal, scream at the kids, grab them (kids) to get them to do things. If Student A is taking too long or doesn't understand sometimes, screaming yelling doesn't help them. It traumatized them,' the staffer added.  When students started to cry over her alleged responses to them, Idowu would often tell them, 'I don't care about your crying' and 'yelled back at them,' the assistant continued in the report.  Marsh and Ibrahim said they decided to publicly share the district's findings because they want to help other families and students who might be experiencing similar alleged treatment.  'We’re trying to do is speak up and give those children in that classroom a voice,' Ibrahim told Fox 13.  Marsh added: 'By others speaking up, others come forward.'  In an interview with the Pop-Up! broadcast in April, Idowu described herself as a 'line stepper' who backs 'ruffling feathers to protect vulnerable groups'  Before Idowu joined SPS in 2021, she organized Black Lives Matter protests in Renton and West Seattle. In an interview with the Pop-Up! broadcast in April, Idowu described herself as a 'line stepper' who backs 'ruffling feathers to protect vulnerable groups.'  In some of her most recent Facebook posts, the educator shared images of people who appear to be her colleagues, holding up signs that say they voted for her for president of the teachers' union. On May 5, she shared a post that read: 'Focus on the facts and not the feelings.'   The Daily Mail approached Idowu, Lam, SPS, and Marsh for comment.