Embattled Gooding superintendent’s background under scrutiny

Embattled Gooding School District Superintendent Mary Larson received an “unsatisfactory” job review in her previous job, shortly before moving to Idaho this summer, the Twin Falls Times-News reported Thursday.

Larson resigned from the Strasburg Public School in North Dakota in March. Four of the five Strasburg trustees agreed with the “unsatisfactory” review, Julie Wootton of the Times-News reported.

This is the latest plot twist in an already messy situation at the Gooding district. Earlier this week, 90 percent of district employees signed a letter expressing “no confidence” in Larson, who started as superintendent in July.

Employees have several grievances, according to the Times-News. They say Larson has abused her power in order to silence employees, fired an employee without cause, has violated employees’ rights to confidentiality and created an employee handbook without staff input.

The district has hired retired Garden Valley superintendent Randy Schrader to try to mediate the dispute.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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