OPINION: At the very least, Superintendent Phillips must go

It should be made clear to the Newberg community that former Newberg school board members Dave Brown, Brian Shannon, Renee Powell, Raquel Peregrino de Brito and current member Trevor DeHart, knowingly and willfully hired a candidate with a shocking work history as superintendent of Newberg schools.

Newberg citizens now have a huge mess to clean up.

Under the watch of this superintendent, Stephen Phillips, the school district budget now has a jaw-dropping deficit of $4 million. In addition to this disastrous news, Stephen was recently named in a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit claims Stephen and two other administrators in the Jewell School District failed to properly protect a then-14-year-old student in that district from a predatory teacher that has since been imprisoned.

For me, it was scary to watch the transfer of this position to Stephen.

In 2021, superintendent Joe Morelock was fired. In 2022, Dave, Brian, Renee, Raquel and Trevor voted to hire Stephen. While Joe had a glowing record of successfully balancing the school budget, Stephen had a shocking work history. In 2018, Stephen was forced to resign as deputy superintendent of Beaverton School District for reposting an outrageously false media message. Stephen went on to serve as superintendent of 175 students in Jewell. It had been widely published at that time that Stephen was the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Brandi Penner and fellow minority member of the board Rebecca Piros were the two nay votes. "We were told it was an ongoing investigation," said Brandi at the time. "The majority decided that it was not pertinent to his possible employment even though, as I understand, his licensing could be at jeopardy ... "

Brandi continued, "It is clear the majority of the board sees our educators as the problem. They want an authoritarian leader who will clean house and remove all defiant staff. They see this in Mr. Phillips’ conservative politics and approach to 'my way or the highway' management."

Dave, Brian, Renee, Raquel and Trevor put our educational system in incompetent hands.

Dave, Brian, Renee, Raquel and Trevor put our children at risk.

Is there any recourse for these five?

It seems at the very least the guy who has made a huge mess in the past three places he has worked has got to go.