A hearing held April 15 for the purpose of removing a Cambridge-Isanti School Board member will continue on April 21.
The April 15 hearing was held for the purposes of removing School Board Member Kyle Johnson, who was elected to the School Board in November 2014 and took his seat in January 2015. In mid-December, the School Board approved a motion for proposed removal of Johnson from his board membership.
The hearing was held in the Board Room at the Education Services Center (District Office) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will continue on April 21. The hearing officer is Steven Rutzick, who was appointed by the School Board to preside at the hearing.
The School District was represented at the hearing by Maggie Wallner with Kennedy & Graven, and Johnson was represented by Karen Kurth with Barna, Guzy & Steffen. Kurth did ask the hearing officer to allow the hearing to be open, but the request was denied.
“Evidence related to Mr. Johnson’s proposed removal from the board was presented by the parties,” said Shawna Carpentier, communications coordinator with Cambridge-Isanti Schools. “It would not be appropriate at this time to provide additional information regarding the proceedings.”
Also in attendance at the hearing on behalf of the School District was Superintendent Ray Queener, and Julia Lines, director of administrative services and human resources.
Carpentier said Rutzick will be asked to submit findings and recommendations to the School Board prior to a final decision by the board regarding its proposed removal of Johnson. She said there is not a deadline by which Rutzick has to submit this information to the board.
“The board will consider the hearing officer’s findings of facts and conclusions in their deliberations,” Carpentier said. “Ultimately, the board will make a final decision based on the hearing officer’s findings.”
The allegations for the proposed removal of Johnson were made public in late February and included:
• Johnson has provided alcohol to persons under 21 years of age, including students and former students of the Cambridge-Isanti School District.
• Johnson has attended parties at the homes of students and former students of the School District when parents were not present and at which Johnson and students or former students under 21 years of age consumed alcohol.
• Johnson engaged in a plan with high school students whereby they submitted parental consent forms to donate blood with knowledge that the students had forged their parents’ signature on the form. Also, in response to inquiries regarding the forms, Johnson provided incomplete and false information to high school personnel regarding his involvement in the forged documents.
• Johnson has demonstrated a pattern of not being truthful with School District administrators regarding communication and activities with students, including social media, texting, transporting students in his automobile, socializing with students and out-of-town trips.
• Johnson has used keys to the high school to enter the building with students and former students after school hours and on weekends without permission from the administration.