Marysville elementary school’s principal on leave

Published 11:15 pm Friday, February 22, 2008

MARYSVILLE — The principal of a Marysville elementary school has been placed on paid administrative leave while the school district investigates allegations made by staff against her.

Jane Colson, principal at Sunnyside Elementary School, was put on leave Feb. 8.

In a letter to school employees, district leaders said they are “investigating allegations and/or patterns regarding treatment of staff.”

Gail Miller, assistant superintendent of the Marysville School District, said “the allegations and concerns in no way involved students or any dishonest acts.”

Miller said she does not know how long it will take to conclude the investigation and no one should draw any conclusions until it is complete.

Neither the school district nor Colson’s attorney would be more specific.

District officials have been interviewing staff members at the school over the last two weeks.

During those interviews, one of the questions being asked was if “harassment, intimidation (or) bullying” are an issue. Teachers were also asked why they believe the school has some of the district’s highest student achievement. Sunnyside exceeded the district and state average the past two years for fourth-grade scores on the reading, math and writing Washington Assessment of Student Learning.

Mitch Cogdill, an Everett attorney representing Colson, said he believes the principal will be cleared and she will soon be back on the campus.

“I feel as confident in the outcome of the case as any employment case I have ever been involved in,” said Cogdill, who has been practicing law for 39 years. “We don’t believe that the allegations are going to have any traction at all.”

“School districts investigate false allegations all the time and that’s what these are,” Cogdill said.

Arden Watson, president of the Marysville Education Association, has been at the school and has made herself available to any teachers who might be nervous about the interview process.

“I think they were surprised the principal was placed on administrative leave,” Watson said. “It is kind of unsettling.”

Many didn’t know what to make of the letter because they didn’t know there was an issue, she said.

Miller said she has received one e-mail and two calls from parents “wanting to give an opinion one way or another.”

Colson became principal at Sunnyside in 2002. Earlier, she had been a missionary in Africa for 13 years.

The district has hired Chris Hoiby, a retired elementary school principal from Mukilteo, to fill in as a substitute at Sunnyside until the investigation is finished and the case is resolved.

Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com.