Investigation continues.....

Police seek documents
No timetable set on investigation into alterations in Klaus contract
By Julian Emerson
Leader-Telegram staff
Eau Claire school officials working at the district Administration Building at 500 Main St. can add dealing with police to their regular duties, at least until an investigation into alterations to former Superintendent Bill Klaus' contract is concluded.

An Eau Claire Police Department investigator worked with district officials on Monday to gather documents helping police piece together details surrounding the contract change. Police have received some of the documents related to the investigation and are seeking other paperwork necessary for the investigation to proceed, Deputy Police Chief Eric Larsen said.

"We haven't gotten everything we're looking for yet, but we're working on it," Larsen said, noting there is no specific timeline to complete the investigation.

Those efforts, announced last week, are occurring at the same time as an inquiry by the Eau Claire school board that began Friday and is set to continue today into alterations to Klaus' contract and related attempts to keep that action from being made public.

The board interviewed Klaus on Friday and is scheduled to question several other district employees today, although board members haven't released names of those people.

Klaus previously told the Leader-Telegram he had discussed the issue with interim Superintendent James Leary, Executive Personnel Director Jim Kling and former school board President Michael O'Brien during the summer prior to an October school board decision denying early retirement stipend payments to Klaus.

Executive Business Services Director Dan Van De Water also was involved in discussions about whether to issue the payments, and sources say Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Patti Iverson also could be interviewed by the board.

Board members have released little information about their investigation but said they hope interviews today shed more light on what occurred and provide a clearer timeline as to when various district officials knew about the contract change.

"The (school board) is committed to fully understanding the many unique circumstances which have contributed to this controversy," school board member Carol Craig said. "It is our expectation that in the near future we will have a realistic understanding of the circumstances surrounding the document that is in question."

At that point the board will consider possible punitive action against those involved in or with prior knowledge of the contract change, board members said. The range of potential disciplinary action has not been specified.

Board members had questioned whether the concurrent police and school board investigations could interfere with each other because of concerns information district employees give to the school board members as part of that inquiry might be used against them during court proceedings that could result from the police investigation.

Larsen said that's not the case, and that testimony before the board can't be used against employees later.

"There is no reason we can't conduct both investigations at the same time," Larsen said.

Issues related to Klaus' contract surfaced after an April 19 Leader-Telegram story detailing how former school board President Carol Olson, at Klaus' request, signed and backdated a document in late June or early July that would have allowed Klaus to begin receiving his early retirement stipend Aug. 1, earlier than called for in his contract. Olson was no longer a board member when she signed the document, backdated to Feb. 5, 2007, the same date the board had approved changes to Klaus' contract allowing his move from superintendent to Northstar Middle School principal.

Board members said they were not made aware of that change - which they said they never approved - until an October special meeting at which they denied the early stipend payments. Olson and Klaus have said they believe that action accurately reflected the board's previous intent regarding Klaus' stipend payments.

School officials said Klaus did not receive any of the $225,000 stipend payments the district will pay him when he retires.

Emerson can be reached at 830-5911, (800) 236-7077 or julian.emerson@ecpc.com.