Washington superintendent gets diversion agreement on misdemeanor charge for removing political signs opposing school bond 

A Washington state school superintendent is on paid administrative leave after being charged with defacing and removing political signs urging voters to oppose the district’s capital bond measure.

Superintendent of North Kitsap School District Laurynn Evans entered a pretrial diversion agreement Wednesday, nearly a month after eyewitnesses identified her as the individual who took down and destroyed campaign signs.

“I was absolutely shocked, absolutely shocked,” Kim Gerlach, a member of the committee that paid for the campaign signs, said according, to KOMO News. 

The committee bought and set out hundreds of signs urging voters to say no to the capital bond measure, which was to raise funds to rebuild two elementary schools and provide additions to three other schools in the district. The bond failed in the Feb. 13 election. 

After dozens of signs started disappearing, the committee set up trail cameras – and even a clever trap – to try to figure out who was responsible. 

“I was like, OK, this is making me angry, so I started putting grease on them,” said Scott Henden, another member of the committee. 

Henden and Gerlach called the police when they discovered someone, later identified as Evans, taking the signs. 

Smudges of the green/blue grease applied to the signs were later found in the bed of Evan’s truck. 

During a recent school board meeting, community members called for Evans’ termination.  

“Your primary duty is to the students of the district, not the superintendent” Dr. Marsha Honey told board members, according to KOMO News. “Your secondary duty is to the taxpayers of the district, not to the superintendent.” 

“By keeping Laurynn Evans in her current role, you are ignoring what is best for schools and the community,” Laila McNamara, a district student said. “You have lost the community trust and are losing our trust.”  

During the meeting, acting Superintendent Rachel Davenport briefly addressed the community’s concerns.  

“I want to acknowledge the frustration and pain that recent events have caused our community, and I’m sorry,” Davenport said. 

Wednesday’s diversion agreement allows the charge to be dismissed if Evans pays $332 for the stolen signs and does not commit another crime for 6 months, the Kitsap Sun reports. Evans is also forbidden from contact with Henden or Gerlach outside of school board meetings.