Barbara Lawlor, Boulder.  On Tuesday, May 9, at the regularly scheduled Boulder Valley School District School Board meeting, board members voted 7-0 to terminate Superintendent Dr. Bruce Messenger's contract.

The board's decision came after an announcement in March that Dr. Messenger had been put on paid administrative leave due to a personnel issue. Messenger has been the superintendent for the past six years.

School Board President Sam Fuqua, in a letter sent last Friday, acknowledged that it was frustrating for teachers and staff to not know the reason for the termination, but, "The Board is bound by its nondiscrimination and equal opportunity policies and process. The investigation was conducted in a manner that respected the confidential nature of the information and protected the privacy of those involved."

An independent counsel directed the investigation and an experienced investigator conducted interviews and reviewed information.

Fuqua says that during the investigation, fairness and transparency was shown to those involved.

"This has not been a quick or easy decision. The Board wishes to assure the public and district employees that its action to terminate Dr. Messinger's contract has been undertaken with deliberation, under the guidance of legal counsel and in conjunction with our district employment policy and process, which by statute could not be done publicly under these circumstances."

(Originally published in the May 25, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)