The superintendent of a rural Lane County School District has resigned amidst an ethics investigation.
The Blachly School District is about 25 miles northwest of Eugene. It has just one school, called Triangle Lake Charter School, and a little over 400 students.
On Wednesday night, the Blachly School Board was scheduled to hold a closed-door meeting about a complaint against, or discipline of an unnamed public employee, and then hold a public discussion about the employment status of their superintendent, Adam Watkins.
Instead - the board’s chair, Derek Pennel, shared Watkins' resignation letter with the rest of the school board.
“Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am resigning from my position as superintendent of the Blachly School District for personal reasons,” the letter read. “I wish the students and staff at Triangle Lake Charter School all the best in the future.”
All school board members present voted to accept Watkins’ resignation.
Watkins had been on administrative leave since August. That's when the Oregon Government Ethics Commission began investigating him for a potential conflict of interest. He allegedly created a counselor job for his wife. The body has not yet released results, or made a public decision on that case.
Watkins previously worked at the Salem Keizer School District, where he faced allegations of discrimination. He was reprimanded by Oregon’s Teacher Standards and Practices Commission and resigned.
According to his employment contract, which KLCC obtained through a public records request, Watkins’ salary was $154,000. He was scheduled to receive a five-year, $12,500 longevity bonus next school year.
School Principal Brittany Bottensek has been leading day-to-day operations since Watkins was placed on leave and will continue to serve as acting superintendent.
