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PLEASANT VIEW, Weber County — More details were released Thursday related to the Weber High School principal who was placed on administrative leave amid an ongoing district investigation.
The district said Chris Earnest was placed on leave while it investigated unspecified complaints, but it now says those complaints are related to how Earnest investigated allegations concerning inappropriate recruiting in the football program at Weber High School.
The initial complaint, received before the start of the 2023-24 school year, alleged that one or more players had been recruited from the Davis School District by Weber High School assistant coaches.
It was determined that a coach at Weber High "exercised undue influence in the recruitment of players" and the case was referred to the Region 1 Board of Managers and sanctions were issued, though no details were given regarding those sanctions.
Additionally, the case was referred to the Utah High School Activities Association regarding the eligibility of the players in question.
"At the conclusion of her investigation, Weber School District officials received complaints over how the investigation was handled by Ms. Earnest," according to a statement from the district. "To ensure that WSD policies and procedures were properly followed, district officials initiated a follow-up investigation. As standard procedure, Ms. Earnest was placed on paid administrative leave."
Sometime during the investigation, additional allegations of "unprofessional conduct and potential violations of district policies" were brought to the district's attention. The statement says the investigation is ongoing and that no further information is being released at this time.
The first day of school at Weber High School was last week and Earnest remained on leave as of Thursday.
She became the principal at Weber High School in 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Ryan Kachold, assistant principal at Weber High, is assuming the responsibilities of the principal in the meantime, said Lane Findlay, spokesman for the district.
"Rest assured, we will continue to prioritize the well-being and education of your child, and we appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate through this situation," says a letter sent Sunday to parents of students at the high school.
