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Community members ask Evergreen board to investigate alleged misleading statements about 2023 supplemental contracts
Summary
Public commenters at the March 10 Evergreen School Board meeting alleged that district counsel and senior staff provided false or misleading information to law enforcement and the State Auditor’s Office about supplemental contracts dated Sept. 4, 2023, and asked the board to place the COO and superintendent on administrative leave pending an independent investigation.
Multiple public commenters told the board on March 10 that they believe district leaders and the district attorney provided false or misleading information to the Vancouver Police Department and to the State Auditor’s Office regarding 09/04/2023 supplemental contracts.
Angie Bunda told the board the pattern amounted to what she called “lie laundering,” and asked the board to place the chief operations officer and the superintendent on administrative leave while an independent probe is conducted. Camille Lohman said she had confirmed with an assistant state auditor that the SAO did not examine the September 2023 supplemental contracts, and accused the superintendent of providing false information to the public at a previous meeting. Danny Stevenson asked the board to schedule a name‑clearing hearing relating to his personnel record.
Speakers cited several concrete assertions: that VPD Detective Alley repeatedly requested documents, that the district attorney Garrett Williams told law enforcement the supplemental contracts were reviewed by the State Auditor’s Office (a claim commenters say the SAO disputes), and that a third‑party investigation and subsequent costs — which a commenter put at about $29,000 — had occurred and were provided to the Clark County prosecutor’s office. Commenters also alleged that an employee who raised concerns had been involuntarily separated.
Board members said personnel matters cannot be discussed in public without consent and noted that the board has the option of seeking an executive session or directing staff to pursue further steps. Several public speakers asked the board to commission a third‑party investigation and to take interim administrative‑leave actions; the board did not act on those requests at the March 10 meeting.
The claims in the meeting are allegations made by public commenters and have not been substantiated in the meeting record. The district referenced in public comment is Evergreen School District (Clark).
