Formal Complaint to Bandon School Board re: Constructive Termination of Former Employees Chris Trevisiol, Amanda Looney, Karina Taylor and Caleb Kruse
Formal Complaint to Bandon School Board
Description of Complaint
As four former employees of the Bandon School District, we, Chris Trevisiol, Amanda Looney, Karina Taylor and Caleb Kruse, are filing a joint formal complaint against Superintendent Shauna Schmerer concerning multiple grievances, including: hostile work environment, mistreatment of employees, abusive and erratic behavior, dishonesty, favoritism in hiring, waste of public funds, slander and ethics violations. We are here today to describe our complaint publicly, to submit it respectfully to the board as part of the public record, and to ask for the resignation or termination of the Superintendent.
Since 2021 each of us witnessed and experienced firsthand repeated instances of misconduct by the Superintendent, which ultimately caused all of us to quit between 2021 and 2025. Our resignations were all examples of constructive termination, which occurs when an employee resigns due to intolerable and hostile working conditions created by the employer. We are attaching four detailed letters describing Superintendent Schmerer’s specific behavior towards each of us and the destructive events that led to our resignations. While each of our stories is distinct, all of them underscore a larger pattern of abuse, intimidation, and misconduct by the Superintendent during the past four years of her tenure at BSD.
When we were targeted by the Superintendent it negatively impacted our careers and livelihoods, damaged our reputations, and measurably affected our physical and mental health. But it also had other damaging effects throughout the wider district:
Students suffered. The loss of a teacher and the cancellation of Summer Enrichment programs caused learning disruptions and contributed to poor academic outcomes in the school district.
The financial stability of the district was put at risk by the back-to-back loss of two business managers.
The Bond project was jeopardized by the constructive termination of the Director of Operations; the re-hiring decision made by the Superintendent was at minimum unethical, possibly illegal, and resulted in waste and misuse of public funds.
At the time each of us thought we were the only one to fall victim to the Superintendent’s abuse and tirades. In every case she was very effective at not only isolating us from other employees but also shaming us through false narratives that were damaging to our personal and professional reputations during and after our time at BSD. We have since learned that there are many more than just four of us. Many are currently afraid to speak up publicly for fear of further retaliation, but to our current knowledge there are no fewer than nineteen former employees who have experienced constructive termination at BSD due to the hostile and retaliatory environment created by Ms. Schmerer.
This pattern cannot continue any longer. We ask the board to take these facts and personal accounts into consideration, to terminate the Superintendent, and to begin a community-driven search for new leadership so that Bandon School District can begin to heal.
Who Should We Talk To and What Evidence Should We Consider:
Please talk to the four complainants listed on this complaint. We also suggest speaking with:
· The witnesses named in each of our letters (e.g. the Union Representative, subcontractors, other employees, conference attendees, our legal counsel, advisors, etc).
· The BEA president and vice president.
· Current staff, including teachers and administrative staff.
· All parents and community members who have submitted letters, emails, public comment and formal complaints to the Board about the Superintendent in the past year.
· OSBA, to understand your role and the process for investigating and terminating a Superintendent.
Suggested Solution or Relief Sought
We ask that you terminate the Superintendent and beginning a community-driven search for new district leadership immediately.
Letters from Complainants
Complainant Chris Trevisiol
November 12, 2025
Bandon School District Board,
My name is Chris Trevisiol, and I served as the Director of Operations, Transportation, and Bond Project Manager for the Bandon School District from July 2019 to February 2023.
I am writing to the board to call out the core issue of misconduct by the superintendant, as evidenced by:
● favoritism in hiring and pay decisions
● abuse and waste of public funds
● violating ethics policy
● hostile workplace, mistreatment of employees, unprofessional and abusive behavior
During my time at the Bandon School District, I successfully managed $4.2 million in HVAC, roofing, fencing, and security bond projects. Most of the projects were completed through Weather Technologies Inc., which assisted in obtaining bids and pricing through the Intermountain contract with ODE. Attached is a letter from Craig McCullough, Regional Sales Manager for Weather Technologies and Tremco, who assisted throughout this process, detailing my successful on-time completion. All of this bond management was completed by me with no compensation.
When I met with the Superintendent and business manager at the time, Amanda Looney, in June 2022, 4 months after a contract was due, to discuss compensation for the bond project management, I was presented with a contract for $57,142.50 for my duties as director of operations. When I questioned the amount and lack of compensation for the bond management, as we had previously discussed, and she assured me that I would be taken care of on numerous occasions, she replied that there was no money earmarked to manage the bond projects. I refused to sign the contract. I worked through the summer with no contract or contract negotiation. Finally, after nearly 2 months, I was presented with an addendum to pay an additional $2,117.40 to complete the bus barn project. I should have resigned at this point, but I felt an obligation to the community to continue the work, so I signed the contract and carried on.
As we now know, the current director of operations and bond manager has been compensated at $130,000 to do the same work and is a personal friend of the superintendent. Which identifies the following issues of concern :
LEGAL and ETHICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING the Director of Operations Salary Increase.
Facts: Maintenance and Bond Projects
2022-23 Chris Trevisiol salary: $57,142.50
2023-24 Brent Robertson salary: $130,000
The new hire is a close friend of the superintendent
The superintendent attempts to justify this by claiming this person is doing “two jobs,” but the previous director had the same responsibilities. This raises the following LEGAL & ETHICAL ISSUES:
Favoritism in Hiring or Pay Decision ORS 244.040(1) Prohibited
Use of official position for personal gain.
Public officials may not use their position to financially benefit themselves, relatives, or associates.
Official Misconduct (Criminal Statute) ORS 162.415(1)(a) Official misconduct in the first degree. When a public servant, with intent to obtain a benefit or to harm another, knowingly commits an unauthorized act. Example: Misrepresenting that an employee is doing “two jobs” to justify a $130K salary.
Fraud, Waste, or Abuse of Public Funds. Even if not criminal, paying a close friend far above market rates can be considered abuse or waste of public resources. This violates public trust and district ethics policy.
During all of the bond projects, daily operations, and managing transportation, I was asked to plan a skybox in the football stands and plan the CTE building. In addition, the superintendent decided she wanted to remodel the district office. I obtained asbestos abatement bids from American Abatement out of Vancouver, knowing there was asbestos tile under the carpet. This abatement is required by law in a public building if it is known to have asbestos. Oregon Ordinance OAR 340-248-0270. Testing and proper disposal required by DEQ. I presented the bid to the superintendent, and her then-boyfriend Dustin Dennis stated, “ We are not doing that, it's a waste of money.” The Superintendent agreed. I then asked why he was commenting on school business. I told the Superintendent I wanted no part of the project if she was not going to follow the ordinance. To which she replied, “You are too much of a goody two-shoes”. I was then told her boyfriend would be completing the work, and I was to move all the things out of the office. I brought in the custodial crew, and we removed the furniture in the district office. Dustin Dennis and a friend installed the flooring over the course of a week and were compensated with district funds for the improper installation. The old flooring material was disposed of in the dumpster on the west side of the BHS gym near the District office without being bagged or disposed of according to ordinance guidelines. The work was of shoddy quality and required my crew to clean up the grout and baseboards after we moved the furniture back in on a Sunday so business could commence upon arrival back from break on Monday. I was not compensated for my time, but made sure the two custodians who came in were paid for their time. This is yet another example of her mismanagement of funds, poor decision-making, and unprofessional behavior.
Additionally, Shauna paid her boyfriend to have the sign made for Chrismon Field. He supposedly had a buddy who could make the sign. I objected because we already had an established relationship with Anthony Zunino at Freedom Graphics. The sign arrived after she and her boyfriend had broken up and was of such poor quality with a blistering finish that I had to return it and have it repaired. Yet another example of poor financial decision-making and ignoring my advice.
I was often working 12-14-hour days, as we did not have adequate custodial substitutes with no additional compensation. I was assured that if I kept track of my time, I would be able to use it as “comp time”. When I asked to use the comp time, I was told, “We aren’t doing that”.
There were numerous occasions when I would submit emails with bids for projects, and she would claim she never received them. I would hand her a hard copy and resubmit and wait, and then again she would claim she did not receive the document. This was clearly an attempt to undermine my ability to finish projects on time.
Another example of her poor leadership and inconsistent management was the Bus barn project, CTE building, and the track resurfacing. All were pulled from me once initial planning was underway, and I was told, “You don't know shit about running a business.” She would then ask for updates on the projects after I was told I was not capable of managing them. If the bus barn project was not completed in a timely manner, it is solely her responsibility for the delays. It was a pattern of abuse and manipulation that could no longer be tolerated.
I ended up in the emergency room one night after work in January 2023, with blood pressure measuring 177/111. I had gone to my dentist, and they took the reading and sent me directly to the ER. I knew then that working for Shauna was not sustainable, and no job, no matter how much I loved it, was worth my health deteriorating to this degree. Yet, I was still determined to stick it out.
However, shortly after, while on a job at Ocean Crest installing a clay kiln with Reese Electric, I received a call from the superintendent screaming into the phone, “I want you in my office right fucking now!” The contractor was standing next to me and heard her and asked, “Who was that?” and I replied, “That was my boss”. Kent said, “No, no, no, we don’t talk to our people like that. I’m sorry. You are going to have to do something about that”. I replied, “I know”. I wrapped up with Reese Electric and went to the District Office. The supposed reason for summoning me in such an unprofessional manner was due to a light cover that had fallen off. I had repaired it several times, but it needed to be replaced. When I walked in the door, she came out of her office and pointed to the light fixture and said, “I climbed on the desk to fix the fucking light, and I’m tired of how you run this place.” “I want you in my office on Monday for an evaluation so we can discuss your performance.” This was in front of all the district office staff. I resigned over the weekend, February 26, 2023. I returned all district equipment to the district office along with my resignation letter.
I left the district with a heavy heart, wanting to complete the projects I had started to make Bandon School District a better place for the community and, most importantly, the students. I had established trusting relationships with many in the community that are now gone because of the misrepresentation of my time and effort at the district. Shauna Schmerer’s toxic management is directly responsible for this misrepresentation.
Members of the previous school board and current sitting members of the board have ignored my concerns, as well as countless others in the community. This includes former employees forced out by Shauna, families that have not had concerns heard or responded to, and teachers who have received blame as the problem, simply for seeking fair compensation. The damage done in our community will take years to repair, and many relationships are permanently damaged.
It is time for the board to do the job they were elected to do. The grievances locally and those sent directly to TSPC will continue until action is taken. Your inaction and unwillingness to have an independent review of the superintendent are a direct reflection on your character and indicate you are not fit for the job of overseeing this district.”
It is time the board addresses the core issues of misconduct by the superintendent that you have been advised of by so many in the community. Take action now and terminate Shauna Schmerer as Superintendent of the Bandon School District.
I’ll leave you with one thought: “People don’t leave bad jobs; they leave because of bad leaders, poor management, and lack of appreciation for their worth.”
Chris Trevisiol
Enclosures:
Contract 2021-2022
Letter of Recommendation from Doug Ardiana
Contract 2022-2023
Contract Stipends
Letter from Craig McCullough
Complainant Amanda Looney
11/17/2025
Statement of Hostile Work Environment & Constructive Discharge
Dear Bandon School Board,
My name is Amanda Looney, and I worked as the Business Manager for the Bandon School District from November 1, 2021 until I resigned effective August 31, 2023. Over the course of my employment, the Superintendent, Shauna Schmerer, created a workplace that was hostile, humiliating, and unbearable. Below are the important facts and examples.
What happened — the main problems
● Myself and Shauna initially formed a personal friendship in the late summer of 2021, soon after she began in her position as Superintendent. I was, at the time, the Secretary to the Principal at Harbor Lights Middle School. Shauna encouraged me to apply for the Business Manager position after the former business manager, Karina Taylor resigned, and stated that she “believed in my ability” due to my 20+ years of experience working in bookkeeping/payroll/basic accounting as well as management positions for most of those years. She stated very clearly and on multiple occasions that she needed her Business Manager to be her best friend and right hand man as we would be working very closely with each other. I felt conflicted in that statement that was made to me, as in my work experience and professional background, it was ethically questionable and not wise for a superior, or boss, to be “best friends” with their employees, however, I was so excited about this opportunity for career growth, that I did not let that affect me applying for this position.
● From around 6 months into employment and continuing through mid-2023, Shauna engaged in frequent, escalating episodes of abusive and demeaning conduct directed at myself and other employees, as well as different community members and parents, including loud, profanity-filled, humiliating tirades in settings where anyone that happened to be around could clearly hear. These outbursts were loud, personal, and humiliating — not private, corrective conversations.
For example, at a September 2022 ASBO conference event in Portland, Shauna screamed obscenities and loudly berated me (“You little Bitch! Who the Fuck do you think you are!? How dare you disrespect me like that!? No! Fuck you! Get the fuck away from me!” and more), in front of many professional peers, causing me humiliation and emotional distress and potential harm to my reputation. This abusive behavior was completely unprovoked and deeply embarrassing and confusing. Come to find out, she was just “worried about me” because I left our table and was socializing with other colleagues at an evening event.
● Shauna repeatedly yelled at and berated other staff publicly (including, but not limited to, Chris Trevisiol, and other Confidential employees), creating an atmosphere of fear, humiliation, and instability in the District office. On or about February 2023, after being abusively yelled at by Shauna, Mr. Trevisiol submitted his immediate resignation. Other employees were treated similarly: Shauna’s conduct was calculated and targeted as she publicly humiliated some employees for trivial conduct (e.g., aggressively and loudly berating one particular employee over taking candy from a jar, severely humiliating him and causing extreme discomfort to the district office staff) but treated other employees differently (no reaction/no humiliation), for the same conduct (15 minutes later), evidencing vicious, calculated, targeted abuse.
● Shauna frequently engaged in manipulative and dishonest conduct in the workplace. She admitted to lying on multiple occasions, and in one instance concealed from the board and misrepresented facts regarding an employee’s family member. She was, over 6 months earlier, fully aware of the facts (which she shared openly and loudly with district staff and other Administrators.) This demonstrates inconsistency, dishonesty, and misuse of authority. This incident left me very confused and again, added to my distrust in Shauna as the Superintendent.
● When I set boundaries and made our relationship strictly professional (ending the prior friendship), Shauna began subjecting me to cold-shouldering, ostracism at work, false statements to colleagues and friends, and hot and cold treatment that had me on edge frequently.
● Shauna repeatedly accused me of “making decisions for the district” and “overstepping” despite having sought approvals and followed the chain of command - ALWAYS and questioning “Who approved that?” Or “Who decided that?!”, which was always her. These unfounded accusations were made loudly and in a berating manner in front of other employees, jeopardizing my reputation and professional standing and causing distress and confusion. In each situation, I remained calm and respectful and would afterwards, privately show her that it was her signature, or that she had made the decision on whatever it was that she was worried about in the moment.
● I was promised raises under a written salary schedule/contract. When I tried to implement the raises for 2023–24, Shauna refused to honor them, saying she was worried about how it “looked” to other employees and suggested that I take the matter to the Board—effectively denying the contracted raise. Around the same time, Shauna requested and received a substantial personal pay increase.
● After I resigned, the district advertised the Business Manager position with a substantially higher salary than I was receiving ($110,000 vs $62,000), and higher than the raises I had been promised, which suggests the raises were refused for reasons other than budgetary necessity but of discriminatory/retaliatory choice.
How this affected me
● The behavior caused ongoing anxiety and physical symptoms (stomachaches and excess stress/anxiety). My values and morals did not align with treating people this way. I didn’t want to be associated with it in any way.
● I felt constantly on edge at work, afraid of being humiliated, falsely accused, or placed on administrative leave because I had witnessed this treatment enough with others and resignations that followed. This also caused me to feel completely devalued in the very important job I was doing for the District.
● After receiving an external job offer, and after being informed by HR that Shauna had spread false statements about my character, I resigned in early July 2023 (last day August 31, 2023), believing continued employment was untenable and fearing further false accusations or disciplinary action. I had to rewrite my resignation letter multiple times because of the emotional strain.
● The humiliation and false statements destroyed my trust in leadership and caused emotional distress.
● As a direct result of Shauna Schmerer's conduct, I have suffered: lost wages and benefits (past and future), emotional distress (anxiety, humiliation, stomachaches), damage to professional reputation, loss of career advancement, and other economic and non-economic damages.
● The cumulative effect of Shauna’s conduct—frequent public tirades against employees, false accusations, slanderous comments to and about colleagues, denial of promised contractual raises, disparate treatment of others and myself, and fostering of a climate of fear—created a hostile, abusive, and intolerable workplace that forced me to resign.
Concrete examples
● Public screaming at, berating and manipulation of employees.
● A very public incident at a September 2022 conference in Portland where I was berated and deeply humiliated in front of hundreds of professionals.
● Publicly accusing me of “overstepping” decisions that had been approved or discussed through the proper channel (herself).
● Refusing to honor promised contractual raises while taking/approving raises for herself.
● Spreading false or misleading statements about my character to coworkers, the community and HR.
● Witnessing many employees receive her abusive treatment through humiliation, manipulation and public shaming.
Why this was unlawful and wrong
● The pattern was not one isolated incident but repeated, severe, and targeted — it created a workplace that was abusive, emotionally hostile and untenable.
● My employer’s public humiliation of others, false statements and accusations, frequent manipulative behavior and dishonesty and the effect that was having on my well-being, are what ultimately pushed me to resign. That combination is what made my resignation a forced choice rather than a voluntary exit.
What I want
● A clear acknowledgement of the hostile conduct and an investigation into how the Superintendent treats staff.
● Steps to prevent the same treatment of other employees (training, policies, leadership review and more accountability by the board).
● Removal of Superintendent Schmerer from the Bandon School District immediately..
Final summary
Shauna’s repeated public humiliation of others, dishonesty, and targeted bullying created a toxic workplace that made it impossible for me to continue. I left only after it became clear the situation would not improve and that staying would seriously harm my health, morals and ultimately, my career. I am speaking up now, on behalf, of every additional, current and former employee, that has had their livelihoods destroyed and/or negatively impacted by the abusive behaviors of Ms. Shauna Schmerer.
With respect,
Amanda Looney
Former BSD Business Manager
Complainant Karina Taylor
11/17/25
To the Bandon School Board:
My name is Karina Taylor. I was a part time Certified Substitute, Payroll Clerk and full time Business Manager at Bandon School District. I am concerned about the current Superintendent, Shauna Schmerer, and the unprofessional behavior she has consistently and repeatedly exhibited from 7/1/2021 to present. Shauna Schmerer has a low acumen for School Business and professional leadership. She has demonstrated a pattern of targeting employees, hostile work environment behaviors and employee abuse via intimidation and malicious slander. This is my story starting mid-June of 2021 to today, 11/17/2025.
In the spring of 2021 there were 3.50 full time equivalency (FTE) employees working in the district office: Superintendent Doug Ardiana 1.00 FTE, Superintendent’s Secretary/Accounts Payable Rachel Hernandez 1.00 FTE, Business Manager Karina Taylor (myself) 1.00 FTE and Payroll Clerk Samantha Fernandes .50 FTE. At that time the Superintendent and Business Manager managed all grant-related tasks. The Business Manager was responsible for the following tasks, including but not limited to: applying for grants, writing/submitting grant narratives, tracking grant expenses, submitting required grant data/documents and collecting grant revenue.
In April of 2021, ODE released the Summer Enrichment (SE) grant, a one-time grant designed to support various educational initiatives and enrichment programs meant to address learning gaps and to provide social-emotional support to school children after the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement of this grant funding so late in the spring meant there was very little time to develop a summer program. However, Mr. Ardiana, Mrs. Hernandez and I worked together to create a SE (Summer Enrichment) program and recruited teachers and other necessary employees.
● Mr. Ardiana asked my Husband, Mr. Taylor, to teach an Outdoor Expedition (OE) class, specifically mountain biking. At this point Mr. Taylor had 16 years of experience teaching OE Club and in the previous 3 years had brought the Bandon program to the next level by volunteering his own time. Usually Mr. Taylor took other summer jobs that paid more than teaching to support our family. He decided to forgo those other higher paying jobs so that he could build relationships with students through OE pos-COVID before students came back to school in the fall. He recognized the value of building teacher/student rapport through extra-curricular activities, which improves accountability and respect in the traditional classroom. He took on the BSD summer teaching jobs even though he knew it would be a financial hardship for our family. He scheduled a couple river raft guide jobs for the end of June and early July before the Summer Enrichment program was scheduled to begin. Mr. Taylor’s mountain bike classes filled up immediately and Mr. Ardiana asked him to teach water sports too. At this point the only outdoor equipment the school owned was limited to a few mountain bikes that were donated to the school. During all previous Outdoor Expedition events our family donated our own mountain bikes, river gear, surf/paddle boards.
● A Summer Enrichment Program Coordinator position was created and Kathy Seimer was hired and the start date was set for mid-June. However, due to personal reasons, Kathy Seimer did not start mid-June. At this same time Mr. Ardiana decided to take paid leave for the last two weeks of June and asked that I handle all school business, including the SE program. He gave me his signature stamp and authorized that I use it as needed at my own discretion while he was out of the office.
● Mr. Taylor and I realized that between our own personal gear and the few bikes that the district owns there would not be enough equipment to support the classes that Mr. Taylor was asked to teach. I contacted the ODE grant manager and confirmed that all equipment - bikes, river equipment, surfboards – were all eligible expenses and determined what threshold spending limits were allowed. I also learned from the ODE grant manager that as long as one student touches a piece of equipment during the summer program, then the equipment would belong to the district forever.
● Since we did not have a SE Program Coordinator at this point and needed to order/purchase equipment/gear before Mr. Taylor left for his other summer job, Mr. Taylor called the new Superintendent, Shauna Schmerer. He explained that he has been asked to teach OE classes, specifically mountain biking, river sports and potentially surfing if the equipment could be acquired in time; that ODE has confirmed that equipment/supplies are allowable expenses; and that he would like to move forward with these purchases for the OE program. At this point the new Superintendent confirmed that he should work with me to set up the purchase orders so that she can then review/approve the purchases for the grant when she is in office 7/1/21.
● During the last week of June 2021, we still did not have a SE Coordinator so Mr. Taylor and I worked together to create detailed requisitions/purchase orders for the Superintendent to review on her first day 7/1/21. Mrs. Hernandez entered the line items into our electronic purchase system. One requisition/purchase order was created with our local Bandon bike shop for approximately $8,000.00 and another one was created with Eugene River sports for approximately $15,000.00. Both of these amounts were well within the threshold limits for the ODE grant expenses. Our family owned two small inflatable kayaks (SPUDS) that are made to last a lifetime and are specially built for children/young adults up to 140 pounds. Eugene River sports had two for sale and were not willing to hold those until July when the purchase order could be approved and a paper check issued. I used a district credit card over the phone to purchase those two SPUDS and paddles in the amount of approximately $1,000.00.
On Shauna Schmerer’s first day I let her know that I was the first signer on the SE program requisitions/purchase orders and that I had already signed all of them. I then asked her to carefully review all requisitions/purchase orders and then either sign them or we could discuss if edits were needed. She signed all of the requisitions/purchase orders and then left the office to walk around campus with Adam Wehner, IT Director, and Chris Trevisiol, Director of Operations.
During the first two weeks of July 2021 I rarely saw or spoke with the new Superintendent and saw her walking and talking with Adam Wehner and Chris Trevisiol regularly. At the time I didn’t think this was a concern since we had just passed a bond for multiple construction projects and security upgrades. I knew that she needed to spend a significant amount of time going over those details with both of them.
The second week of July we still did not have our SE Coordinator so Mr. Taylor sent an email to the Superintendent stating that he wanted to add a Summer Enrichment OE surfing class, and if there was funding available he would like to purchase surfboards/wetsuits for the school district.
● Mr. Taylor provided the invoice information for an online surf purchase to Mrs. Hernandez in the amount of approximately $8,000.00. She entered the requisition line items in our electronic system.
● Since this amount was still within the allowable amounts for the grant I signed them electronically.
● The Superintendent signed this purchase order electronically on 7/20/21.
● Rachel Hernandez added the surfing classes for the third week of August. At this point Mr. Taylor had one week of mountain biking, one week of river sports and one week of surfing classes scheduled as his summer work under the Summer Enrichment OE program.
During the Superintendent’s third week we worked together on the SIA grant, writing narrative and submitting data to ODE. For the remainder of that week she was working out of the office and I rarely saw her. We still did not have a SE Coordinator.
Mr. Taylor contacted the Eugene River House and they donated a trailer to the district so that he could transport equipment for the OE summer classes. The manager of the River House had been working with Mr. Taylor for the past 16 years and they were pleased that they could donate to BSD.
● Mr. Taylor drove to Eugene in his own vehicle, picked up the trailer from the Eugene River House and all of the gear from Eugene River Sports and brought it to the shed next to the Football Field and the District Office.
● Mr. Taylor then found an Education Assistant to help him with the classes, Dakota Bouher, and they worked on the logistics, including but not limited to: the location for a Class I river float, transporting and setting up equipment, transporting students, and safety protocol/practice. Mr. Taylor and Ms. Bouher were confident that they were ready for the OE classes. The only equipment they were waiting on at that point was the bikes that the local shop had ordered.
● Mr. Taylor contacted the bike shop owner and confirmed that as soon as the bikes arrived the owner would assemble them and let Mr. Taylor know when they were ready to pick up.
In late July I left for a week-long Oregon Association of School Business Association conference in Bend, OR. Tuesday, July 27th 2021 at 7am, 19 business days into her job, the Superintendent called and told me she’d been up all night so stressed about this situation and that she had decided to put me on paid administrative leave due to my mismanagement of funds.
I was shocked and asked her what she was talking about. She then went on to tell me that I would be investigated for my actions and therefore I was not allowed to speak to any school employees and I was not allowed on the school campus. I immediately felt nauseous and confused. I felt blindsided and told her that I cared about my job and the district and would not have done anything to jeopardize either of those things. I also informed her I didn't even know what she was referring to and asked if we could talk about it. She said no. I reminded her that my husband is a school employee and she said that I was allowed to speak with him. She also informed me that I could finish the OASBO conference and use the school laptop for conference tasks only and then turn in the computer and my keys to the office when I returned from Bend. The Superintendent then contacted Mr. Taylor and informed him that she had cancelled all of his SE classes and that he was under investigation as well.
● In hindsight I realize that while I was on paid leave during this time, Mr. Taylor was not compensated for lost wages when his three weeks of summer school classes were cancelled.
● Since I was not union represented I immediately spoke with my mentor David Moore (Tigard/Tualatin School District CFO) and he advised that I hire an employment lawyer immediately and follow the rules of the paid administrative leave. I immediately hired an employment lawyer from Eugene, Frank Gibson.
Later that same day I met Amanda Steimonts and her family. I told her that I was having one of the worst days of my life and that my new Superintendent and direct supervisor had put my family and I in a position of mental duress and financial hardship.
● Aug 6th 2021, I received an administrative leave letter from the Superintendent that stated the investigation would take 2 weeks and after it was completed I would be invited in for reinstatement, disciplinary action or pre-termination meeting.
● August 16th 2021, I discovered that my photo and contact information had been removed from the BSD website. At that time, the removal of my information from the website was incredibly distressing and I couldn’t pinpoint why. Now, after I have witnessed the actions of this Superintendent over the past four years, I believe the intention behind removing my name and contact information from the website was part of her attempt to show wrongdoing on my part. She did this prior to any investigation, prior to our meeting and prior to hearing my account of the events up to that point. By removing my contact information from the school district website prematurely, the Superintendent did not honor due process and did not protect my reputation.
During that first month of paid administrative leave I was confused and in emotional distress about why I was removed from my position. As a relatively new Business Manager of 2 years, I started to question my competence. I contacted the Superintendent about scheduling a meeting so that we could talk and I could get back to work. I realized that the longer I was away from my post, the more difficult it would be to return and be successful in that position. I was specifically stressed about the daily banking tasks, the strict Bond timeline, grant management, and prep for the annual audit. I did not know if anyone had taken over those critical tasks. I hoped that Gen Chrismon had been asked to fill in, since she had been the previous Business Manager for 26 years. But I also didn’t wish this task upon her because she had wanted to retire in 2017. Instead, she had to train her successor, Molly Herbst, for one year (from 7/1/2017 to 6/30/2018) and then she served as my mentor for 2+ years from 7/1/2018 to 7/26/2021.
The investigator contacted me and spoke to me over the phone about the SE grant and equipment purchases.
● I have since learned that during the investigation - while I was not allowed to speak to employees - the Superintendent was speaking to other employees about me, controlling the narrative and misleading people.
● The Superintendent told employees that she didn’t know about any of the purchases and that Mr. Taylor and I had bought everything without her permission.
● She slandered my name, my character and my work in the district office.
The Superintendent scheduled our first meeting for August 26, 2021 and labeled it as “pre-termination meeting.” The fact that she decided it was a “pre-termination” meeting before talking with me brought on a whole new set of emotional and physical stressors. Unfortunately, my legal counsel was unable to attend the meeting due to his son’s wedding. I demanded we reschedule for a time when my lawyer could be present. She declined my demand and stated that if I wasn’t present then she could use the information she had to terminate me. My legal counsel pointed out that without representation she was not honoring due process for my meeting. He also requested that she provide written documentation to me during the meeting indicating why I had been put on paid leave and investigated, and what her reasoning was for escalating this to a pre-termination meeting.
● 5 days prior to the meeting I experienced symptoms of sweating, nausea, dizziness and tingling in hands and feet.
● The next day I realized that my resting heart rate was 135 when it’s normally around 60. I went straight to the doctor and found out that I also had elevated blood pressure of 150/110 when it’s normally 110/60. The doctor prescribed medication to bring my blood pressure and heart rate down.
During the first “pre-termination” meeting the Superintendent provided one piece of evidence of misuse of funds: the credit card policy and my purchase of the two SPUDS and paddles for a total of approximately $1,000.00. I explained to her that:
● The credit card purchase was a de-minimus amount
● The company was not willing to put that gear on the purchase order and that I had never used the credit card before.
● It was not a pattern of credit card abuse; it was a one-time purchase.
● The previous Superintendent had given me a directive to manage the Summer Enrichment grant in his absence and through this leadership transition.
● I did not feel it was not grounds for termination.
When I brought up the fact that we had discussed the equipment purchases and that she had approved the purchase orders, she became unhinged and started screaming at me.
● While yelling at me she claimed that she hadn’t authorized the outdoor expedition equipment.
● She displayed a cunning use of obfuscation by changing the topic away from her previous support of the Outdoor Expedition classes and screamed that this meeting was about my misuse of the credit card.
● When I tried to speak again to provide more information she interrupted me and yelled at me about the cost of insurance for water sports and asserted that she had nothing to do with any of the purchases.
● She used her position of power and yelling to intimidate.
● If she was able to listen to me I would have then shared with her that Mr. Taylor and I had led/chaperoned multiple day and multi-day river adventures with high school students on the Willamette, McKenzie and Deschutes rivers. So not only is it feasible to lead river expedition classes and clubs, we had over 10+ years of experience with the Kalapuya High School Outdoor Expedition club.
At this point I was in shock about the yelling and dishonesty and checked out mentally. I felt attacked and had no lane in which to proceed with my side of the story. I then asked to schedule another meeting and requested that at that meeting she provide copies of the requisitions and purchase orders that she had signed electronically. I knew that not only was she aware of the purchases but that she had also approved the purchases and signed the purchase orders. She lied in this meeting by claiming she had not. After this first meeting I had many unanswered questions:
Why was the leader of a school district yelling at an employee during a pre-termination meeting?
Why could she not distinguish between a one-time de-minimus purchase versus actual misuse of funds, which this was not?
What did all of the families do for child care when they found out last-minute that three weeks’ worth of summer programs were cancelled?
After his son’s wedding, I debriefed my lawyer about the Superintendent’s unwillingness to hear my side of the story, and how she had interrupted, yelled and screamed at me throughout the meeting. He contacted the Superintendent via email and asked for another meeting. He requested that she conduct herself professionally and that she provide the additional documents. He also asked for documentation from her “investigation.” She informed us that the investigation results were “privileged” information. Meanwhile:
● The first week of September 2021, Mr. Taylor was called out of the classroom to the Superintendent’s office where she lodged a claim of hostile workplace against him. He requested union representation and when the meeting took place he was accused of verbal threats of violence against the Superintendent. He said, “Why am I even here? I haven’t said anything.” The meeting ended and he went back to his classroom.
● On September 13th 2021, I received the purchase order documents that were electronically approved by the Superintendent, proving that she had signed the purchase orders for all Summer Enrichment program equipment.
The second pre-termination meeting was scheduled for 9/23/21 and my lawyer was able to attend via zoom.
● During this meeting he pointed out that even though I had unintentionally violated the district credit card policy it was a one-time purchase when we were up against a tight timeline for the start of the summer programs.
● Also, he reminded the Superintendent that the purchase had been made under the previous Superintendent’s tenure and that Mr. Ardiana had authorized that I keep the program afloat.
● My lawyer then asked why she thought this was grounds for a pre-termination meeting as opposed to a corrective action meeting, especially considering that she was aware that we needed equipment on a short timeline and she had authorized the purchase of all other equipment.
● At that point the rage yelling started again. I quietly endured it and my legal counsel witnessed it via zoom. I sat there wondering why this was her approach to an employee who is already under duress.
● When she was finished, my lawyer asked her why she signed the requisitions/purchase orders if she was not in alignment with the programs. She continued to fly off the handle and was hostile.
● At this point we asked to end the meeting. It was clear that she was unable to hear my point of view or my lawyer’s questioning.
After the meeting I realized that no reasonable person in my situation could be successful working under the leadership of this person:
● The Superintendent was not willing to talk to me and had quickly launched an investigation instead of engaging in professional dialogue.
● Her dishonesty and obfuscations about the equipment purchases is still to this day concerning.
● She was unable to be professional during two pre-termination meetings, and was hostile, verbally abusive and intimidating.
● She removed my name from the BSD website prior to my investigation interview.
● During those two meetings she refused to consider my story and instead burst into verbally violent tirades.
At my next meeting with my lawyer he told me he had never seen anything that came close to that level of blatant and aggressive unprofessionalism in any employment meeting. He said that any reasonable person in attendance at that meeting would have found the way that she spoke to us hostile and abusive. He then asked if I even wanted to work with her. I informed him that I needed some time to consider and would get back to him.
At that point I had served the school district for three years and had established my position (this is considered property by constitutional right.) The Business Manager position was challenging, meaningful, supportive of all employees and students and I was honored to be in that position. Even though I had violated the credit card policy I did not think that was a valid reason for a pre-termination meeting, given the context and former Superintendent Ardiana’s directive to manage the summer program in his absence. There was no reason for the unprofessional treatment I received from the Superintendent. I know that my ethics, character, daily acts of service and achievements should have been more than sufficient to justify my return to work.
However, I knew that it would be a long, drawn-out process to appeal to the School Board about my specific situation. Since I was the first person at BSD to experience Shauna Schmerer’s unprofessional outbursts and hostile attacks (the now-obvious pattern of abuse towards employees had not yet emerged), I wanted to believe that my experience was an anomalous one-time occurrence. I chose to give her another chance and believe that she could be professional, respectful and honest leader for BSD, even though she was incapable of extending the same grace to me.
Nonetheless, I made the decision to resign from my position. If I had been treated with respect and professionalism there could have been a much better outcome for the students, the district, my husband and myself. Instead I wanted to get as far away from her and that toxic environment as possible. I submitted my resignation September of 2021. In my separation agreement I received my unused vacation hours payout, no findings of wrongdoing in my employee file and no contest by the district for future unemployment claims due to constructive termination., When I then claimed unemployment, I was denied. I chose to not follow up on this denial to my claim with BOLI.
I later learned that the Superintendent returned all the Summer Enrichment OE equipment to vendors at a cost to the district (restocking fees) and then blamed the loss of funds on Mr. Taylor and me. If she hadn’t cancelled the Summer Enrichment programs the equipment would have belonged to the district forever. If indeed the insurance for water sports had proven to be too high then Mr. Taylor could have taught water safety on dry land and then sold the unused equipment for full price so there wasn’t a financial loss to the district.
● The local bike shop eventually shuttered its doors because, “no one wants to buy bikes anymore they just want bike mechanic work and I can’t keep my doors open for what I earn for that.”
● Parents had to scramble for child care when they found out last minute that Mr. Taylor’s classes were cancelled.
● The district had to absorb the cost of the restocking fees.
● I think they gave the trailer back to the Eugene River House?
● Let’s not forget about Gen Chrismon who wanted to resign 7/1/2017. Instead, she trained Molly Herbst for one year, trained me for two years, had to help when I was on Administrative leave, and finally trained Amanda Looney. When Amanda Looney resigned due to her own experience of a hostile workplace under Ms. Schmerer, Gen said, “I’m finished helping.”
● After resigning I contacted Gen Chrismon, and she informed me that Shauna Schmerer maliciously slandered my name daily. Gen spoke up for my character and competency every time.
What could have been a meaningful and positive outdoor enrichment program for Bandon students on the heels of the pandemic turned into a needlessly destructive fiasco, including:
● the loss of significant grant revenue for the district;
● the last-minute cancellation of summer programs for Bandon students;
● Mr. Taylor’s forfeiture of the majority of his summer income;
● my own resignation from a job that I was deeply dedicated to;
● the worrisome loss of institutional knowledge due to the high turnover rate of business managers in the district office; and
● the first indication of the hostile and unsafe work environment created by Shauna Schmerer.
In 2021 when my world crumbled around me at BSD, I hoped I was the only one. But unfortunately, it has become increasingly evident that this is Ms. Schmerer’s pattern: targeting employees, using intimidation, mismanaging public funds, and engaging in malicious slander. It cannot continue. My experience was part of this pattern – the tip of the iceberg – and even though it temporarily derailed my career and measurably impacted my physical health and well-being, it pales in comparison to what some others have experienced since.
● The conditions I was subjected to were so unpleasant and difficult that no reasonable person in my situation would have continued employment, which is termed “constructive termination.”
● I later verified that other school districts bought outdoor equipment with the ODE Summer Enrichment grant and all our purchases were allowable and legitimate.
● Since I was unsure of the extent and breadth of the Superintendent’s slandering of my name, I did not feel comfortable or supported in applying for any jobs in Bandon after this experience. I worked as a PE Assistant and Certified Substitute Teacher for Coos Bay School District for four months before being hired as a full time Payroll Specialist for North Bend School District. I have been in that position now since March 6, 2022.
Shauna Schmerer has repeatedly shown bias against and targeted other employees and I for over four years now. She has used intimidation, dishonesty and malicious slander to create a hostile work environment. No reasonable person would have continued their work in my position, therefore she effectively pushed me out of the Business Manager position through constructive termination. Shauna Schmerer has done incredible damage to employees, students and families over the last four years, and unfortunately, what my family has experienced under her destructive leadership is not an isolated incident. Please remove Shauna Schmerer from her position of power before more irreversible damage occurs. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Karina Taylor
Complainant Caleb Kruse
On November 21st, 2024, I was called into the Bandon District Office, where Shauna Schmerer and Jaclyn Brown accused me of having an alleged affair with another staff member. They listed many allegations that were all false and all hearsay. When I tried to prove the allegations false, they did not care about my perspective or any evidence to prove my innocence. They said that I was not in trouble and to keep “space” between me and the person I was having this alleged affair with.
I was so distressed from that meeting, the next morning, I had asked the principal if it were possible to wear a body camera during school. This was my only solution to protect myself from false accusations. I didn’t get an answer and never wore a camera.
Even though I had been professional and had not treated this person any differently than any other staff, I decided to be a team-player and keep my “space.” I did an excellent job in the following weeks and only interacted with her a handful of times and only for professional business. None of my interactions were alone with her, so I always had witnesses if anyone were to accuse me again.
On January 13th 2025, I was called into a second meeting where I was issued a letter of directive. It stated that I had continued this alleged affair during school and was making a “hostile work environment.” I asked for actual evidence, here are just a few. The Union Representative was present in this meeting. They said I was spending excessive time with her. I asked them to watch the cameras and count the minutes we interacted because they would find it’s only mere minutes, combined, over a 6 week period, since the first meeting.
The union representative asked about allegations from unreliable sources and pointing out the district doesn’t do any investigations. They said, “A student saw something so upsetting to him that it sent him home and he was torn up about it.” I asked why they can’t investigate in real-time. She said, “knowing who he(student) is, was all the proof and evidence she needed.” Instead of doing an actual investigation. I also said, “If there are other kids(students) then that’s great because we have more witnesses. Can we call them as witnesses?” They said, “If it were an isolated incident, they would investigate, but because it’s more than one, they don’t need to investigate.”
That solidified that I was not safe. I had no way to protect myself, and now I knew this district did not care about the truth. Is it professional/normal that a school district continually accuses a staff member over almost a two-month period and not even once investigate one of the accusations?
I asked to see the footage of me being unprofessional and she said, “I don’t have that(footage).” Is it professional for a district's Human Resource Coordinator to say she personally saw that footage, and when asked to see the footage she says that she doesn’t have it anymore?
The Union Representative asked if we could see the footage from between November (the first meeting) til now, and they clearly did not want to and said, “the rumors are sufficient enough.” Again, avoiding actual evidence.
This district office does not follow policy and has continued to harass me with false allegations. Since November, my health has deteriorated drastically. Due to the stress, this has impeded my abilities to eat a meal and sleep through the night. Which led to substantial weight loss and a compromised immune system, being sick the entire time between the two meetings. I did my best to not let it affect my teaching abilities for the students, but the continued harassment wouldn’t allow me to teach unaffected.
Since I had no way to protect myself against their lies, I decided to resign on 01/24/2025. Because I was targeted by the district office themself with the help of a few of their friends (other staff), I could not give 60 days notice, afraid they would double down on their allegations and try to get me fired within that time-frame.
I still don’t know why all of this happened. I’m not sure if they were targeting me or the other woman in this alleged affair, or maybe it’s because I’m not white. I don’t live in that town and drive an hour (one-way) to get there. I’m not from their community and had just started working there in September. I only made it half a school year. Also, I learned from many staff that have worked in this district for many years, that “this is just how this district works.” I’ve never been a part of a more toxic work environment or seen such unprofessionalism from a district office before.
Caleb Kruse