Wrenshall board hires investigator for latest allegations

Wrenshall school board members voted unanimously Thursday, June 30, to authorize an outside investigation into allegations of misconduct. The special board meeting was brief and very formal, but public, with motions made after advice from John Edison, the district’s attorney from the Minneapolis firm Rupp, Anderson, Squires & Waldspurger.

Last week’s special meeting was held specifically to authorize the investigation, after a motion to hire investigator Justin Terch was tabled at the June 13 board meeting so board members could further investigate concerns there might be a conflict of interest. Terch, according to the board conversation that night, is a member of the Carlton County Republicans. Board member Cindy Bourn serves as a vice president of that group.

In the end, Terch chose to make the decision for the board, sending a letter explaining that he was withdrawing from consideration. In the letter, the Cloquet resident said that — other than a precinct caucus and one county convention — he has “never attended any other meetings of, or with, the Carlton County Republicans, nor have I donated any money to this group or received any benefit from it.”

Nevertheless, Terch said he prefers the unanimous support of a public body that chooses him as an investigator, so he withdrew for that reason and because he had three other pending matters awaiting his attention. He asked that his letter be placed into public record to correct any misunderstanding.

Edison recommended a different investigator, Isaac Kaufmann, of Red Cedar Consulting, LLC. The attorney said Kaufmann had agreed to put a $10,000 cap on the investigation, as Terch had done. Kaufmann offered a rate of $160 per hour. The board unanimously approved motions to authorize Kaufman to proceed with an investigation as recommended by legal counsel, and also to allow board chair Misty Bergman to sign an engagement letter with the $10,000 cap as approved by legal counsel, without holding another board meeting.

When members asked about seeing the contract, Edison said he could send out the written letter, but he stressed that board members could not discuss the letter outside of a public meeting.

Investigation

Earlier in June, the board had two closed meetings to discuss complaints about two employees. Board chairwoman Misty Bergman later said the district employees involved in complaints against them were superintendent Kim Belcastro and Jamie Hopp, who is the information technology director for the district.

There is a report, obtained by the Pine Knot News from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, about a call made to that office by Belcastro regarding a threat made by Hopp. Belcastro told the deputy who responded that she was filing the report to have it on record only. There is no active law enforcement investigation. No other allegations have been made public.

The report states that Hopp made a statement to another district employee in the staff lounge and it was relayed to Belcastro by a third party. The report states that Hopp said “If I could f***ing kill someone it would be the f***ing superintendent.”

The report noted that it wasn’t a direct threat and there were no signs that Hopp planned to carry out the threat. Belcastro reported that she has “been having issues with Jamie at work for some time,” the report said. It said the threat was being investigated internally.

During Thursday’s meeting, Edison recommended the investigation include the employee complaints and a new complaint.

“We’ve discussed some of the allegations extensively in the closed session that took place earlier this month,” Edison said. “Since that time, there was another written complaint that the board is aware of, that we have not discussed in closed session.”

When board member Nicole Krisak said she was unaware of another written complaint, Edison said she was the one who submitted it. “Oh, I thought something else must be going on,” she said.

Wrenshall resident Tony Sheda asked after the board voted if the new investigator was cheaper.

Krisak responded that his rates are $40 less per hour than the first proposed investigator.

The board meets at 6 p.m. Monday for its regular July meeting. It‘s at the Holyoke Town Hall.