Crook County School Board asks superintendent to retain athletic director after her independent decision to reassign him

(Update: More information from School Board Vice Chair Scott Cooper)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – On Monday evening, members of the Crook County School Board voted 4-0 at a packed meeting to not move forward with hearing a complaint filed against Athletic Director Rob Bonner and to request that Superintendent Dr. Melissa Skinner retain Bonner as the school district's athletic director.

Superintendent Skinner had made an independent decision, separate from the complaint, to reassign Bonner from the athletic department.

The nature of the official complaint was not communicated to those at Monday's meeting. All that was shared to those in attendance was that it was a complaint filed by a parent involving a staff member - later identified as Athletic Director Rob Bonner. The board clarified that the complaint didn't directly relate to Superintendent Skinner's decision to reassign Bonner.

School Board Vice-Chair Scott Cooper detailed the situation in a statement to NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday.

"The complaint against Rob Bonner is unrelated to the superintendent's decision to reassign him from his role as athletic director," Cooper said. "The complaint came from a citizen with a grievance about a specific incident.  The decision to reassign Rob was a management choice of the superintendent as she calibrates her team."

"The decision not to hear the appeal from the citizen means that the 'Level 3' decision stays in place," Cooper said. "That decision did not find wrongdoing on Rob Bonner's part. There are no consequences or sanctions arising from that decision. "

"After dealing with the complaint, the board took up as an unscheduled agenda item the question of Rob Bonner's status as athletic director," Cooper said. "The board was responding to the immense amount of public interest in this question. 

"According to the terms of the superintendent's contract, the superintendent has sole authority to assign, hire and terminate staff. She was in process of exercising her rights to reassign Rob. 

"Since the board cannot direct her, the board voted to 'request' that she 'retain' Rob Bonner as athletic director," Cooper said. "Ultimately and technically, that decision is still hers, but I cannot imagine a superintendent with any political savvy not following the unanimous recommendation of her board." 

The school board explained to the crowd in attendance that following the district's four-step investigation process, the board first decided to not move forward with Step 4, leaving the recommendation put in place by district's superintendent, which was to remove Bonner from his position.

However, the school board immediately voted afterward for the superintendent to reconsider her decision to remove Bonner as the district's athletic director.

The superintendent was not present at Monday evening's meeting due to a family emergency, so no clear decision on Bonner's future was made.

The meeting came after 100 students walked out of class, taking to the streets of downtown Prineville, for a loud, and historic protest.

The next school board meeting where the public will be able to comment is January 13th.