9-4-2018

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Evergreen State College’s President apologized for using taxpayer-funded resources to transport students to a Sumas berry farm for a protest in 2017.

Farm advocacy group Save Family Farming filed a complaint with the college in April after they say photos and videos showed college vehicles at the farm during protests over the death of a seasonal farm worker.

Evergreen President George Bridges says 6 faculty members have been strongly reprimanded and Save Family Farming’s Executive Director Gerald Baron says it’s a good start.

“Although there are some remaining questions, we really appreciate President Bridges’ apology for this abusive use of taxpayer-funded resources and are encouraged that he has promised to work from keeping this from happening again,” he says.

A H-2A farm worker at Sarbanand Farms died in Harborview Medical Center last year.

Medical examiners and the state Department of Labor and Industries found his death was due to natural causes unrelated to his work and cleared the farm of any wrongdoing.