Weber HS to be led by interim principal; search for new leader starts next spring
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- The outside of Weber High School in Pleasant View is pictured Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.
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- Ryan Kachold, interim principal of Weber High School.
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- Chris Earnest, former principal of Weber High School. Weber School District officials announced her retirement on Friday, Sept. 28, 2023.
PLEASANT VIEW — In the wake of the departure of Weber High School’s leader last month and sparks over a football recruiting controversy, Weber School District won’t officially start the search for a new principal until next spring.
Ryan Kachold, elevated to lead the school after Chris Earnest was put on leave in August, will stay on as interim principal for the rest of the school year, according to the district. Kachold had been serving as an assistant principal before the launch of a probe last August into Earnest stemming from the football recruiting issue.
Meantime, release of the resignation agreement between Earnest and the Weber School District offers a few insights into her departure, though not much. As the investigation into Earnest proceeded, she decided to retire, officials announced on Sept. 28, ending the probe but leaving many questions unanswered.
Earnest couldn’t be reached for comment and school officials aren’t saying much. According to the resignation agreement, supplied to the Standard-Examiner in response to a public records request, a “non-disparagement” clause it contains prevents either side from maligning the other.
“Both parties agree to refrain from making any such comment orally or written, and agree that they will not engage in any statement online, in any social media outlet or to any print or telecast media outlet,” it reads.
Moreover, those involved in the probe into Earnest “will not share information about the investigation with anyone except as required by law,” the agreement reads. Weber School District spokesperson Lane Findlay echoed that in a message to the Standard-Examiner in response to the request for records related to the probe, citing state code pertaining to protected records.
“Since Ms. Earnest retired before the investigation was completed, there is no finalized report. The district will not be releasing any records related to the investigation as these records could disclose the identity of a source or sources of information and could compromise the source or sources,” Findlay said in a message.
Earnest was the focus of a probe announced on Aug. 31 stemming from complaints about how she handled a separate investigation into allegations of inappropriate recruitment of two students from Davis County. They were brought over to play on the football team at Weber High School, located in Pleasant View.
Charges of “unprofessional conduct and potential violations of district policies” subsequently emerged against her, the district said in its August announcement. School officials haven’t elaborated, though some Weber High School parents spoke out in Earnest’s defense after she retired, and the resignation agreement doesn’t shed any light on things.
Both sides deny any wrongdoing “or liability to the other party,” it reads. “It is expressly understood and acknowledged by the parties that this agreement is entered into solely for the purpose of avoiding controversy and resolving this employment matter.”
As for Earnest’s departure, her resignation took effect Sept. 30, but thanks in part to vacation time, she’ll continue to receive benefits through January.
As she had more than 30 years of service in education in Utah, she qualifies for full retirement benefits. Earnest will also receive vacation leave payout, sick leave payout and an admin leave payout. She qualified for the district’s early retirement incentive, offered to employees who step down before they turn 65.
The dollar figures Earnest is to get per the varied retirement provisions are blacked out in the copy of the agreement supplied to the Standard-Examiner. “The district is redacting these monetary amounts because describing an individual’s finances would be an unwarranted invasion of Ms. Earnest’s personal privacy,” Findlay said.
However, her wages for 2023, according to an online database of Utah public employees’ pay managed by the Utah State Auditor’s Office, totaled $154,578.21 with another $57,176.90 in benefits.
RESTORING ‘WARRIOR PRIDE’
A letter sent last week to Weber High School faculty, staff, parents and guardians expresses school officials’ hope of moving on past the events of August and September. Aside from the repercussions Earnest faced, Zac Connors was fired as offensive coordinator of the Weber High School football team as a result of the probe into charges of improper recruiting at the core of the matter.
“Our immediate priority is to provide a positive and safe learning environment for students and staff,” the letter reads. “The goal is to very intentionally work to restore the Warrior Pride that has long been a hallmark of Weber High School.”
Kachold will be aided by two assistant principals who were already in place, Nick Reyes and Ryan Stokes, and a third who has been brought on board, Ryan Waite.
Weber School District will formally open the principal’s post to applicants in the spring, according to the letter, while parents and staff will be surveyed for their feedback. “This input will help to inform the hiring process that will take place later in the school year,” the letter reads.