Four subcontractor workers fired in political banner incident at MLSD site

Four employees of a subcontractor have been dismissed from their positions after raising a political banner with epithets directed at President Joe Biden at the construction site for Vanguard Academy, the Moses Lake School District’s new specialty high school.

“After investigating, we felt it was an isolated incident performed by staff of the subcontractor,” said Absher Construction Company President Jeff Richards. “My understanding is that the subcontractor elected to release the four individuals they identified as being responsible for the incident.”

Absher Construction is the primary contractor overseeing the construction of the new campus. Richards said the incident did not delay the construction of the school and he expects the overall project to be completed on time.

MLSD has previously indicated they expect to open the campus for the fall 2022 semester. And the campus staff are expected to give education based on real-world scenarios while still providing a high school diploma.

Richards said the concept for the Vanguard Academy project, formerly known as the Real World Academy, is unique and he and his team have appreciated being able to work on a signature project for the community.

Richards said the project has been going well and the district has been a collaborative partner, though concerns procuring materials has been a challenge due to supply chain issues associated with the ongoing pandemic.

“The school district has been great to work with. The design team, the owner’s rep have all been collaborative,” Richards said. “It’s a bit of a challenge right now with procurement issues and lead times associated with stuff, but everyone’s coming together to work together to make sure we deliver for the district as expected, on time, so it’s going well overall.”