Huebscher editorial about how the Klaus/Olson Story became public

From Don Huebscher at the LT regarding the process of the story about Klaus and Olson. For what it's worth, Huebscher definitely indicates that Julian Emerson had the lead on the story several weeks before the rumor slid across my radar as I have indicated in the past. I was a latecomer to news of all the shenanigans. Kudos to Julian Emreson for hanging in there on this story in spite of months of delays and denials for the information he was legally entitled to receive.

Maria

As of this writing, nine of the 10 most-commented on stories on leadertelegram.com are articles we've published related to early stipend payments to former Eau Claire school district Superintendent Bill Klaus that later were rescinded after some board members said they never approved them. More than 100 comments have been posted on these stories as of the middle of last week.
As long as so many people are weighing in on the issue, I thought I'd take my turn.
First, I want to address claims that the Leader-Telegram was spoon-fed the tip by former school board candidate Maria Henly and then pressured to put it in the paper. In fact, reporter Julian Emerson first got wind of this story way back in September while coaching his daughter's soccer team. Two people asked him if he knew anything about early retirement payments approved for Klaus, who was moving from superintendent to principal of Northstar Middle School.
In the next few weeks, Emerson continued to be asked about it, so he contacted a school board member who told him the board did not approve early payments, and that it probably was just a rumor. But the rumblings persisted, so Emerson called a board member and another district official and again was told the board did not approve allowing Klaus to start receiving his $45,000 annual stipends (paid over five years) before he reached at least age 55 and retired.
Then, on Oct. 22, the board met in closed session to discuss the issue and apparently were told about the memo signed by former school board president Carol Olson — she was board president when Klaus' contract to move to principal was negotiated — approving the early stipend payments and backdated to February 2007. Olson reportedly signed the memo in June or July after discussing the matter with Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Patti Iverson and believing that the memo accurately reflected what the board had approved in its earlier negotiations with Klaus.
In December, the board announced in open session the terms of Klaus' contract. Emerson requested school district records related to this issue and received a copy of Klaus' contract but not of the memo signed by Olson.
Emerson filed several follow-up open records requests for information about the contract change and was essentially put off. Finally, early last month he was granted access to Klaus' personnel file, where he saw the memo signed by Olson. He then spent the next several weeks trying to convince school officials to go on the record to confirm that the memo was backdated and other details, and eventually Personnel Director Jim Kling, Klaus and Olson spoke on the record for the story, which appeared April 19.
Emerson had the essential details nailed down months earlier, but if at all possible we didn't want to base our coverage on "anonymous sources," no matter how reliable. We prefer not to operate that way, and we know readers feel the same. We were getting close to going that route, however, because we felt the information was of significant news value.
Comments posted on our Web site range from opinions that this is much ado about very little to demands that heads should roll. The fact-finding by the school board and police continues, and on Wednesday Klaus was placed on administrative leave. Eventually, District Attorney Rich White will study the evidence and decide what to do.
I am proud of Emerson's doggedness and take seriously the Leader-Telegram's responsibility to pursue such stories. But personally I get no joy out of reading the sharp criticisms of Olson in particular. I don't know her all that well, but in the times I dealt with her during her 15 years on the school board I found her to be intelligent, friendly and committed to making the school district the best it could be. Unless the investigation produces a worst-case scenario, I think it's sad that this episode overshadows her previous 15 years of service. Likewise for Klaus, who I've always found to be professional yet down to earth.
However, I also have heard rumblings that this episode is a manifestation of a culture of arrogance and greed among those who have managed our schools. Until this episode, I had no reason to believe that; now, I'm not so sure.
I think those in authority who knew about this early on made a big mistake by not reporting it. They could have openly acknowledged the error in judgment and explained to all what was done to correct it. Waiting all these months only added "cover-up" to the buzzwords surrounding this story.
Huebscher, editor of the Leader-Telegram, can be reached at 833-9216, 800-236-7077, ext. 3216 or don.huebscher@ecpc.com.