Coupeville High School principal placed on leave

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 17, 2026

The superintendent of Coupeville schools placed the high school principal on leave pending an investigation a year after the principal was hired to replace a former principal who had also been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Superintendent Shannon Leatherwood released a statement to staff and families on March 16 that explains she placed Principal Dan Berard on paid leave “while the district conducts a review process.”

“Administrative leave is a standard step that allows the district to carefully review a situation and gather information,” Leatherwood wrote. “It is not a disciplinary action and does not indicate any conclusions have been reached.”

Leatherwood explained that the district has engaged an independent investigator to review and evaluate “all information” in order “to ensure the process is fair and impartial.” She added that she cannot share additional details because it is a personnel matter.

Berard was both the principal and Career and Technical Education director. While he is on leave, Becky Cays will be serving as acting high school and middle school principal, and Willie Smith will provide athletic and supervision support.

Leatherwood placed Geoff Kappes, the former high school and middle school principal, and Vice Principal Allyson Cundiff on “non-disciplinary leave” in December 2024. Kappes resigned in April 2025 while Cundiff returned in a different capacity.

Based on a public records request by the Whidbey News-Times, the investigation appeared to be related to the administrators’ response to two separate student-related concerns. In one, students were circulating a video of an allegedly sexual assault of a student off campus. In an unrelated incident, a group of students created a group or club called the “Minority Rape Cult” at school. There were no allegations that students in the group assaulted or harmed others.

Over the last year, three secretaries at the school district have also been investigated, according to Coupeville school staff members who asked to remain anonymous because they fear retaliation.

In response to a question regarding the secretaries, Leatherwood wrote in an email that the district does not comment on individual personnel matters, “including whether reviews or investigations have occurred, as we are required to respect employee privacy and follow established processes.”

“When concerns are raised, the district follows consistent procedures to review information carefully and fairly,” she wrote. “In some cases, that may include administrative review processes or an outside party to ensure all facts are understood. Our focus remains on maintaining welcoming, supportive learning environments for students and staff across all of our schools. We are committed to handling all matters in a way that is fair, thorough and aligned with that priority.”

On Tuesday morning, the school district sent out a notice of a special meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18. The only thing on the agenda is an executive session to review the performance of a public employee.