Washington school superintendent on leave after video appears to capture her ripping down campaign signs

A school superintendent was reportedly caught on video ripping down campaign signs for a law related to school governance, and she was placed on paid leave pending an investigation.

Superintendent Laurynn Evans of the North Kitsap School District allegedly stole signs related to a school bond measure that will be determined in a special election on Tuesday.

Property owners said that someone had ripped down the campaign signs so often that they set up video cameras in order to catch the culprit. They were able to obtain footage of the vandal, who appeared to be a woman.

Police said that they identified Evans as the suspect after they traced the license plate of a truck involved in the incident. The property owners said they had placed grease on the signs to deter the vandalism, and police said they found grease on Evans' truck and on gloves and a towel that were found in a dumpster near the truck.

Evans told Kitsap County sheriff's deputies when she was questioned that it was not her on the video and that she was being framed by opponents of the bond measure.

The 20-year bond measure would raise $242 million to help pay for expanding and modernizing school buildings and facilities. It would also raise taxes for residents.

Some parents attended the school district board meeting after her arrest and demanded that she be removed from her office.

"Are you rewarding her to leave with pay? It's our money. We're asking for her to leave with no pay during the investigation and also to demand to resign," said one parent. "We don't want the superintendent even here in school."

“I felt it was an injustice to the children. You promote not stealing, be truthful, be honest, really have commitment and loyalty, things like that. Seeing a top leader like that doing those things, how can you tell children to do the right thing and I can do the wrong thing?” asked Adam Toler, a parent of three children in the district.

The board voted to put Evans on paid leave. She did not attend the meeting, and all members voted to place her on leave except for one member who abstained from voting.

Charges have not yet been filed against Evans, but the Kitsap County prosecutor's office is investigating whether to file charges.

Here's the video of the bizarre incident:

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