KUNA -- An office manager at Kuna Middle School is under investigation after school officials were notified of "inappropriate conduct" between her and a minor.
Melissa Whiteley has been fired, Kuna School District HR Director David Reinhart confirmed.
According to a letter sent to parents Monday, the school learned about the inappropriate conduct over the weekend.
The case has been turned over to Kuna Police, but no criminal charges have been filed as of Monday morning.
"Because this is an active investigation, law enforcement has been unable to provide us with a complete picture of what happened," Superintendent Wendy Johnson wrote in the letter to parents.
Whiteley successfully passed a background check before she was hired at Kuna Middle, the district says.
Reinhart declined to say whether Whiteley and the victim are alleged to have had a physical relationship. The district also declined to reveal specifics in the letter to parents.
"While it is human nature to want to know details when one hears bad news, please remember, it is against district policy to disclose personnel matters that are undetermined because of an investigation," Johnson wrote. "Even so, we wanted you to know what we are able to share so you could help your child process what they may hear from their peers at school."
The entire letter to parents is included below:
November 11, 2017
Valued Parents and Community Members,
We were notified this weekend that Kuna Middle School Office Manager Melissa Whiteley was accused of inappropriate conduct with a minor. At this point, law enforcement is conducting a thorough investigation of the accusation. Because this is an active investigation, law enforcement has been unable to provide us with a complete picture of what happened. However, given the serious nature of the charges, Ms. Whiteley has been terminated from her employment
with the Kuna School District.
We have no evidence that this incident goes beyond what is known today, but if you have concerns about any activities from the past, please contact the District Office at 208-922-1000 or Ada County Sheriff's office at 208-377-6790.
Our number one responsibility is to keep all the children under our care safe. In addition to our regular safety practice and drills, the district requires that all employees undergo a thorough background check before any employee is allowed to work. At the time of Ms. Whiteley’s hiring, nothing in her background check indicated that we could have anticipated this alleged behavior from her.
Although this news has been incredibly difficult for all of us, we are working to ensure that this is a good year for our students and families. We are putting plans in place to help support our students and staff who have been impacted by the news and will have counselors available for students. If your child has concerns, please let them know that counselors, administrators and teachers are available to help.
While it is human nature to want to know details when one hears bad news, please remember, it is against district policy to disclose personnel matters that are undetermined because of an investigation. Even so, we wanted you to know what we are able to share so you could help your child process what they may hear from their peers at school.
Thank you for your continued support of our students, teachers and staff.
In service,
Wendy Johnson
Superintendent
