Papillion La Vista board cancels employee contract after administrative leave; district notified state education agency of arrest

The Papillion La Vista Community Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to cancel the employment contract of Jeffrey Fauble, effective immediately.

The action followed administrative leave beginning March 25, 2025, and delivery of a district notice the next day via the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office that the board would consider contract cancellation. Dr. Settles told the board Mr. Fauble did not request a hearing within the seven days allowed by statute after receiving notice, and that the district had “complied with all requirements of statute and policy regarding the cancellation of Mr. Fauble’s employment contract.” The district also notified the Nebraska Department of Education of Mr. Fauble’s arrest on the same day, Dr. Settles said.

The board adopted a written resolution that recited the timeline and canceled the contract; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call vote with all members voting yes.

Board members and staff said they have sought outside review and are examining hiring and vetting procedures. After the vote, several board members asked broadly about hiring processes and background checks. Dr. Settles described the district’s hiring steps, including application reviews, transcript vetting, reference checks, screening and in-person interviews, certification verification and background checks the district runs through its vendor (statewide and national criminal checks, sex-offender registry, adult and child abuse registries and multi-jurisdictional court searches). Dr. Rickley and other staff said the district has met with the background-check vendor and notified state investigators to ensure nothing was missed and to learn improvements.

The board did not discuss case details in open session and said specific discussion about Mr. Fauble would occur in closed session if requested. The resolution directs the cancellation of the contract; the board and administration said they will file a formal complaint with the Nebraska Department of Education related to alleged violations of professional practice.

The board’s action does not itself assert guilt or criminal findings; it is a personnel-contract decision taken after the administrative-leave period and the failure to request a statutory hearing.