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Longview board moves superintendent from paid leave to unpaid status after court conditions
Summary
The Longview School Board voted unanimously on June 8 to convert Superintendent Dr. Karen Boniger’s paid administrative leave to unpaid status, saying court-imposed conditions prohibit her from performing duties that require contact with students and numerous staff. The board directed legal counsel to notify Dr. Boniger in writing.
The Longview School Board voted on June 8 to convert Superintendent Dr. Karen Boniger’s paid administrative leave to unpaid status, citing court-imposed conditions that the board said legally prevent her from performing the superintendent’s essential duties.
Board member Jennifer moved the change at the start of the meeting after the board amended the agenda to add the item. In her motion she said the change was required “based on her present legal inability to perform the essential functions of the superintendent position by reason of court imposed conditions of release prohibiting contact with district students and certain staff.” The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
In a follow-up explanation the vice president told the board the conditions of release are a matter of public record and “prohibit her from having contact with any district student and a substantial number of district staff.” The board emphasized the vote was not a disciplinary finding: the vice president said the motion “is not a disciplinary determination” and that the board was preserving contractual rights and reserving any further actions pending legal process.
The board also voted to direct the acting superintendent and the district’s legal counsel to provide written notice of the change and to identify leaves potentially available to Dr. Boniger under her employment contract.
The motions passed by voice vote with all present board members signaling agreement. The board then recessed into an executive session to review the performance of a public employee under the statutory authority cited in the agenda.
Context and next steps The board framed the action narrowly as an operational step tied to court-ordered conditions rather than a finding on the underlying criminal matter. The acting superintendent and the board said they would follow legal counsel’s advice and make further personnel or contractual determinations based on the outcome of ongoing legal processes.
What the board did not say Board members did not provide additional details about the court conditions beyond the description that they prohibit contact with students and certain staff. The transcript contains multiple spellings of the superintendent’s name and the board did not offer medical or human-resources documentation in the public meeting explaining contract leave options; the board directed staff to deliver written notice and to identify leave entitlements in accordance with the employment contract.
