Last week’s Voice of Vashon interview with Kevin Hoffberg about his sudden resignation from Vashon Center for the Arts raised more questions than it answered. Hoffberg had originally committed to talking with The Beachcomber following the interview, and we wish that he had followed through on that commitment.

On the air with Morning Scramble hosts Jeff and Cindy Hoyt, Hoffberg gave several reasons for resigning on Aug. 8, effective immediately. But the true news of his announcement resonated painfully with life in the #MeToo era. Hoffberg said he had learned his presence had made a guest of VCA uncomfortable, an explanation that Jeff Hoyt redefined for listeners, with Hoffberg’s agreement, as “unwelcome contact.”

With Hoffberg not answering any more questions and the VCA board saying only that it is investigating and taking the matter seriously, the community knows nearly nothing. Was it a minor misunderstanding, as Hoffberg indicated, an extremely serious incident, or something in between?

The answers matter, in part, because of VCA’s prominent place in this community. Public funds helped build the building, leaders there continue to seek community support and strive to keep its programs in the public eye. As we have said before, VCA holds the public trust; that trust is as vitally important now as it has ever been.

A disappointing portion of the on-air interview focused on the fact that the person who brought the allegation forward had not spoken up to Hoffberg at the time. Hoffberg lamented this fact, saying that if he did something that bothered Jeff or Cindy, whom he knows, they would say something — and that would allow for a good conversation and an opportunity to move beyond the infraction.

If only the world worked that way.

Thankfully, Cindy Hoyt stepped in, stating that it can be “a great act of courage” for the aggrieved person to speak up.

It is discouraging to know that in 2019, even after #MeToo, there is still conversation occurring that questions why people who find themselves on the uncomfortable end of unwanted physical contact would not simply object in the moment. We should not expect or require anyone to shrug off discomfort, unequal power relationships and the fear of humiliation or worse — not to mention sheer speechlessness — in order to educate other people about boundaries and behavior at the moment those boundaries are violated. This fact is important for all of us to understand in our personal and professional lives, far beyond these particular allegations.

Looking forward, we hope that VCA leaders will soon share further information about the allegations and investigation — minor, major or in between — and the board’s steps to address them. And we hope that the search for a new executive director at VCA will result in the hire of a strong new leader to carry the organization into the future.