The Culver School District has hired a new superintendent after a third-party investigation into former Superintendent Stefanie Garber substantiated the majority of complaints against her, documenting a workplace culture marked by fear of retaliation and favoritism -- and costing the district more than $25,000 at a time of budget pressure and planned staff furlough days.

How It Started

The situation began taking shape in the summer of 2025, when Culver school staff brought concerns about Garber to the school board. Around that time, the Culver Education Association conducted an anonymous staff culture survey. Association President Sarah Cox presented the results to the board in June 2025 -- but board members chose not to review the survey findings after the meeting.

That decision prompted a formal complaint from the district’s own Human Resources Director, Jodi Henry, who wrote that she had been receiving a steady stream of staff concerns but could not act on them because employees feared retaliation if they filed formal complaints.

"There is a striking difference in the application of these retaliatory behaviors depending on if you are one of her favorites, on ‘Team Stefanie’ as staff refer to it, or if you’re not," Henry wrote in her complaint.

What Investigators Found

The school board subsequently hired Ussery Consultants to conduct an independent investigation. Investigators interviewed 23 witnesses and examined 12 specific complaints spanning two years of conduct. Their findings:

  • 10 of 12 complaints were founded, including age discrimination, missed employee evaluations, improper disclosures, and violations of board policy and contracts.
  • Two complaints -- alleged financial mismanagement and alteration of board minutes -- were deemed unfounded.
  • Broader findings included Garber overstepping religious lines, failing to take responsibility for key incidents, and communication breakdowns that investigators said created "low morale, mistrust, and confusion" among staff.

Garber’s Response

Garber submitted a written response denying the allegations and describing what she characterized as dysfunction within the administrative team. She alleged immaturity, mistrust, and a "gotcha" culture among staff, and suggested internal conflict had driven the complaints.

"I pray for them, it is my job to forgive them, and my nature is to help and support them," Garber wrote.

Following the investigation’s completion, Garber resigned.

The Cost -- and the Questions It Raises

The investigation billed the district over $25,000 -- money spent during a budget period that has also resulted in staff furlough days and cuts to district programs. Critics are asking why board members failed to act on the staff survey in June 2025, and whether earlier action could have avoided the expensive outside probe.

The same school board that declined to review that survey oversaw the hiring of the new superintendent, who is expected to start in July 2026. KTVZ News reported it has requested interviews with the incoming superintendent and board members to understand what accountability mechanisms have been put in place.

For families in Culver, Metolius, and the surrounding communities the district serves, the question now is whether the new leadership can rebuild trust in a school system that has spent the last year in turmoil.