Eugene School District 4J Superintendent Andy Dey is facing an investigation into allegations of discrimination and retaliation against a school employee, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The investigation, which began in fall 2023, includes other allegations of misconduct involving Dey, sources familiar with the investigation say.
The investigation report by a Seattle law firm is now in the hands of the Eugene District 4J School Board. School board members must now decide whether the evidence would prompt disciplinary actions against Dey.
Eugene Weekly’s request for comment from Dey went unanswered. EW reached out to Dey’s chief of staff, Jenna McCulley, and to a district spokesperson but did not receive a response.
Other school officials referred questions to Eugene 4J School Board Chair Maya Rabasa.
Among the questions EW asked Rabasa was if the board would commit to making the investigation public.
“I am not in a position to comment upon the existence or status of any potential investigation at this time,” Rabasa told EW in a written statement.
Dey narrowly won appointment by the school board as superintendent 18 months ago after a fraught debate. He has worked in education and in the 4J district for more than 20 years, as a teacher, principal and administrator.
As a finalist for the top job, Dey faced criticism and complaints that he used bullying tactics, especially toward female employees, while serving as a 4J administrator. Reporting by KEZI-TV at the time brought the allegations to light.
Despite the concerns about Dey, the board voted 4-3 to hire him in June 2022. 4J did not respond to a question about Dey’s salary but media reports show the previous superintendent had a base salary of $241,500 when he left in 2020.
Since Dey’s appointment, there’s been plenty of board turnover — five of the seven school board seats have changed hands, thanks to recent elections and a resignation.
Several current and former district employees reached by EW declined to comment on record about the investigation, citing fears of retaliation. It’s not clear what the board’s members will do with the investigation into Dey.
Sophia Cossette and Tristin Hoffman of the Catalyst Journalism Project at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication contributed to this story.
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