Pioneer puts superintendent on leave

The Pioneer School Board on Friday placed Superintendent Jill Diehl on paid administrative leave and named former Southside Schools Superintendent Doris Bolender as the acting superintendent.

The move came almost two months after the Pioneer Education Association presented a vote of "no confidence" on Diehl to the board. Four

members of the five-member board voted for the actions, with Dwayne Kipple abstaining.

"The board is pleased to have Ms. Bolender available to assume this important appointed role," Pioneer School Board President Susan Day wrote in an email to the Shelton-Mason County Journal.

The details of Bolender's contract haven't been finalized, said Kristen Jaudon, a spokesperson for Capital Region Educational Service District 113 in Tumwater.

The Pioneer School Board is meeting via Zoom at 6 tonight. The gathering will include an executive session.

The Pioneer Education Association submitted the letter of no confidence to the Pioneer school board at its Dec. 14 meeting. In the letter, the group stated that if Diehl does not resign, the board should ask her to do so.

"We all believe these problems directly stem from an inability or unwillingness of the superintendent to provide effective, competent, compassionate and trustworthy leadership for the district," the letter states. "These problems have had a corrosive effect on staff morale and fostered a climate of fear, anxiety and uncertainty."

Diehl has been the superintendent for a year and a half after replacing John Gummel.

The introduction to the letter states, "Efforts to bring these issue to the attention of the board have been routinely met with resistance or been undermined through information suppression, covert intimidation and parliamentary maneuvering."

In the letter, the Pioneer Education Association writes that Diehl "has created an increasingly toxic, fearful and hostile work environment."

Staff members said they have experienced, and/or know someone, who has experienced Diehl being "bullying, intimidating and demeaning" in interactions with staff and community members; disrespecting staff members who are trying to solve problems; denying requests for due process representation during one-on-one sessions with Diehl; and asking the school nurse to "subvert protocols" regarding COVID. The nurse resigned.

The union also claims Diehl directed a building administrator and staff member to report to work while living with COVID-positive people or having COVID, in violation of health standards.

At the board's Jan. 25 meeting, employees said Diehl hasn't been present much since the vote on no confidence.

In her email to the Journal on Monday, Day wrote the district's next steps "include filling administrative vacancies to ensure that the district has the necessary leadership to conduct a safe and productive learning environment. A comprehensive administrative review by Dr. Paula Akerlund will be completed in the next 10 days. The purpose of the review, initiated by the board, is to provide a professional third-party look at the health of the Pioneer School District as an entity and identify areas of needs, assets and recommendations for growth. A report to the community will follow."