Crook County School Board member speaks out, as board will determine superintendent’s fate

(Update: Adding comments from board member, video)

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Crook County School District board members are sharing their thoughts on Superintendent Dr. Melissa Skinner, as turmoil continues in the community.

"Sometimes the board, when it begins to hear things, needs to step in and look a little more closely at what those operational decisions are," said board member Scott Cooper. "How they are influencing the climate and the environment."

It comes after the superintendent independently decided to transfer popular Athletic Director Rob Bonner from his sports role, a move the school board recommended Skinner not take in a 4-0 vote at a packed meeting Monday night.

"When we start getting into mob mentality and just looking for people to blame, it doesn't really help anybody," Cooper said Wednesday.

He says the board will now need to look into all complaints, as social media buzzes with new allegations.

A recent citizens' letter, signed by more than 700 people so far, calls for an immediate suspension of Dr. Skinner’s authority over employment decisions pending a thorough investigation, a review of recent hiring processes, and consideration of a vote of no confidence leading to her termination.

"What we are seeing now is not totally unusual in the history of the community," he said. "We're hard on all administrators. We have high expectations of our administrators. That can sometimes spill out into a whole lot of community drama."

Protests erupted outside the school district office on Monday after Dr. Skinner independently decided to transfer the athletic director from his sports role, though no reason for his removal was shared.

"The responsibility of the superintendent is for making hiring, firing and assignment, really assignment responsibilities, while the board focuses on policy and budget," Cooper added.

The school board later recommended against his transfer in a 4-0 vote Monday night.

When asked if Skinner was fit for the role, Cooper had this to say:

"This isn't a failing school district, and there's that need to involve people along the way. And what I'm hearing people say right now is that they'd like to be more involved in some of the decisions that are being made."

Below is the complaint letter: