No discipline for former athletic director

Former Wenatchee High School athletic director and current Dean of Students BJ Kuntz will not receive disciplinary action for alleged malfeasance and neglect to fulfill her duties as athletic director, according to a letter sent by Kuntz to The Apple Leaf today.

Kuntz faced disciplinary action following the alleged rapes of three students on a WHS football bus Sept. 6, 2014, according to a letter obtained by The Apple Leaf through a public disclosure request. The letter was issued Feb. 12 by Wenatchee School District Executive Director of Human Resources Lisa Turner.

But the letter of direction, signed Tuesday by Kuntz and Turner, concluded no disciplinary action will be taken.

“After consideration of all the information you provided, the District has determined that the discipline is not warranted against you at this time,” Turner wrote.

Kuntz came under fire by the district when it hired Kris Cappel of the Seabold Group to investigate the Sept. 6 alleged bus rapes. The letter from Turner to Kuntz on Feb. 12 stated Kuntz:

• “committed malfeasance for misrepresentations to the School Board regarding the Duty of Care policies and procedures,”
• “neglected to fulfill the duties of the Athletic Director as outlined in the job description,”
• and negligently trained, supervised, and evaluated football coaches Scott Devereaux and Kevin Sellers.

Those allegations were discussed in a Loudermill pre-determination meeting on March 3 and 4 with Kuntz and her lawyer, Gar Jeffers. The hearing served as the precursor to any final determination of action being taken against Kuntz.

When the Feb. 12 letter was issued, Turner recommended that Kuntz receive a letter of reprimand. Following the early March meeting, the district was able to determine that a letter of direction for Kuntz in the 2015-16 school year would be a proper action to take.

The letter of direction will not be placed in Kuntz’s official personnel file, Turner wrote, but will remain in Kuntz’s “working file” with her evaluator for the 2015-16 school year.

Wenatchee School District Superintendent Brian Flones declined to comment on any aspects of Turner’s Feb. 12 letter, citing personnel matters.

“It is not our practice to comment on the nature of a leave of absence or disciplinary matters,” Turner wrote in an email to The Apple Leaf yesterday.

Revelations of Cappel’s investigation that the district alleged as “facts” in the Feb. 12 letter:

• Kuntz only implemented the Duty of Care manual as “suggestions,” rather than “expectations,”
• not all coaches had a copy of the Duty of Care manual, which Kuntz reportedly told the school board was true in 2012,
• Kuntz “failed to have consistent policies and procedures within the Athletic Department regarding travel criteria for ineligible student athletes.”

“I would like to comment as there are several inaccuracies in the [Feb. 12] letter and the situation has been resolved,” Kuntz wrote in an email to The Apple Leaf this morning, prior to providing Turner’s letter of direction. She called Turner’s Feb. 12 letter “defaming.”

The Feb. 12 letter to Kuntz includes dates all the way back to September 2012. Kuntz reportedly committed to the Wenatchee School Board, following an audit of the Athletic Department, conducted by Chris Burton, after the drowning of freshman Antonio Reyes, “diligence in [her] pursuit to have a safe environment for District athletics,” Turner wrote as “facts” in the Feb. 12 letter.

Turner provided Kuntz with six directives for the upcoming school year in the letter of direction, including:

• attending all trainings regarding evaluation of staff,
• seeking assistance or additional training if unclear of evaluation expectations,
• completing an evaluation of each staff member assigned to her,
• notifying the Human Resources department of any classified staff who receives a “needs improvement” review,
• notifying the Human Resources department of any classified staff with whom Kuntz is “having difficulty,”
• and not signing any evaluation that has been delivered and signed by the staff member.

  

“I anticipate good results as we continue working together in your new position as Dean of Students,” Turner wrote. “A letter of direction is not disciplinary action, however, failure to follow these directives could result in a disciplinary action being taken.”

Kuntz was athletic director for 12 years prior to Jim Beeson taking over July 1, 2014. Kuntz went on family medical leave last winter from her position as dean to take care of her father. He passed away Feb. 5. Kuntz is scheduled to return to WHS on April 6, according to an email sent to WHS staff yesterday by Principal Bob Celebrezze.

Kathi Keefer has filled in for Kuntz in her absence. Keefer then went on maternity leave, and Annika Bibby stepped into the role Jan. 29. Keefer returned March 2, and has filled the role since.

Kuntz was appointed dean of students Feb. 26, 2014, by Celebrezze.