Siletz Valley School board fires superintendent/principal after investigation into seven complaints

 

By NIKA BARTOO-SMITH/Underscore News

SILETZ – The Siletz Valley School board has fired principal/superintendent Casey Jackson following an investigation into seven complaints filed in October.

The board announced its decision to fire principal Jackson at its meeting Dec. 14. The 200-student school is a charter school within the Lincoln County School District, with its own board, administrators and budget.

“After a lot of tough conversations the decision was made by the board, to terminate Mrs. Jackson’s employment from the Siletz Valley Schools,” board chair Willie Worman wrote in an email obtained by Underscore News. “This was not an easy decision. However, the board came to the conclusion that this is what would be best for our school, teachers, community and students going forward.”

The investigation began after Jackson’s reaction to a student protest on Indigenous Peoples’ Day Oct. 9.

Students at Siletz Valley School, a majority Indigenous school just outside the Siletz Indian Reservation, balked at a school policy requiring students to attend classes on a federal holiday celebrating Indigenous people. More than one quarter of the school’s students walked out in protest.

“I want people to understand what Indigenous Peoples’ Day is and why we felt so strong about it,” said Zoey Howard, a 16-year-old student who participated in the walkout told Underscore at the time. “It is a day of trauma. It’s meant to celebrate Indigenous people for what we’ve been through. And I want people to know that’s why we walked out.”

The following day, Jackson, who is not Indigenous, called students over the loudspeaker to a meeting, where she berated them for walking out. The students caught the interaction on a recording.

Students brought their complaints to the school board Oct. 24, which led to three major decisions, including:

• To honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the future;
• To observe Orange Shirt Day — day of remembrance for survivors of boarding schools and their families — as a holiday with no classes; and
• To place Jackson on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.

Now, three months into the school year, the board is searching for an interim principal to finish out the year. Worman said the board contacts the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators to start that process.

Until that time, vice principal Kent Rilatos will continue to fill in as principal, as he has since Jackson went on administrative leave.

The board is also preparing for the likely possibility that Jackson could sue – allegedly over claims of discrimination.

“We more than half expect litigation,” Worman said. “I can confirm that we investigated the issues and decided to terminate Casey’s employment based on the fact that we determined the school can’t successfully move forward under her leadership.”