By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Former Palliser superintendent terminated by board of trustees

Feb 28, 2017 | 2:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Palliser Regional Schools passed a motion Tuesday (Feb. 28) to terminate employment for former Superintendent Kevin Gietz.

According to a media release, the motion goes into effect immediately without notice or payment in lieu of notice. Acting Superintendent Dr. Garry Andrews will continue to hold the position until Palliser moves forward with hiring a new superintendent.

Because this is a personnel matter, the Board of Trustees says it will not be making any further comments.

Back on November 24, the board received 21 recommendations from its organizational review. Robert Strauss, Board Chair, noted at the regular meeting, that a legal review of the 220-page document had been completed, and a motion was made to accept all of the recommendations in principle.

Dr. Kelly Williams-Whitt and Dr. Terence Weninger were chosen by the school division to carry out the review, that concluded on October 31.

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It was originally requested by Gietz, after allegations of bullying and unwelcome physical contact toward female employees were made against him online more than a year ago. Before being relieved of his position, Gietz was placed on paid leave on August 24 without assigned duties.

Board members were also in the process of identifying the more complex recommendations that they needed an outside facilitator to help them go through. Strauss hoped to have most of the work done by next October’s election.

“If we’re not able to complete all 21, certainly we will like to have them addressed and well on their way. It’s clearly our intent to leave the next board with a very solid foundation on which to build on.”

A tracking tool was established on the Palliser website to identify all of the recommendations, the board’s progress month-to-month and provide a place for any public input.

“We plan to move forward in a very positive manner… We will do this as a team. The organization will move forward with involvement from the public, from parents, from staff, as well as the board,” Strauss said.

In accordance with privacy regulations, an edited version of the document — that does not identify specific people — is available to view on the Palliser website.