Trustees terminate contract of H.R. director

Diane Peters is on her way out as director of Human Resources for the Churchill County School District.

CCSD trustees on Thursday night voted to terminate the contract of Peters, who has headed the district’s HR department for the past three years. Trustees met for 75 minutes in closed session at the end of their regularly scheduled meeting, and after reconvening, they conducted a brief discussion before taking action. The vote was 5-0 — trustees Carmen Schank and Richard Gent did not return from the closed session.

Peters will remain on paid administrative leave for 30 days. Interim Superintendent Bus Scharmann said that as an “at-will” employee, the contract agreement may be terminated at any time by either party, without cause or reason, after giving at least 30 days prior written notice to the other party.

At that point, trustees heard a recommendation from Scharmann to terminate the working contract. Trustees approved a contract for Peters at their Dec. 13, 2012 meeting by a 5-2 vote, with trustees Steve Nunn and Nona McFarlane opposing.

Peters and her attorney, Bryan Carpenter of Reno, had no comment as they exited the district administration office. Likewise, school board members and interim superintendent Bus Scharmann declined to comment on the matter.

Peters becomes the third CCSD district office administrator to depart within the past year.

Carolyn Ross resigned as superintendent in July, while Lynn Broyles resigned as Business Services director at the end of the school year, less than three months after a controversial request by the district office to have her contract terminated was reversed by trustees during an appeal hearing — in a 3:52 a.m. vote taken at the end of a nine-hour board meeting.

The only public comment was given by Karl Marsh, a teacher at Churchill County High School, who spoke in support of the motion to terminate the contract. Marsh

“Back in February I told her (Peters) I had some major problems ... she made photocopies of different things, and it has yet to be resolved as of today,” Marsh said. “She has never gotten back to me, nor has anyone from any other department.”

Peters had served as Human Resources director since October 2010, at which time the LVN reported she came in with 20 years of human resources experience in Northern Nevada. Peters was employed with Washoe County for about eight years and with the Nevada Airport Authority for more than four years.

She also has experience in the private sector in areas like healthcare. She has lived in Fallon since 2004.

Peters received her Master’s of Business Administration from Trinity College, University of Dublin, Ireland. She has certificates from the University of Nevada, Reno in HR management and supervisory management, and she has been nationally certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources since 2003.

The Human Resources manager position was created in July 2010 after the assistant superintendent and human resources position was dissolved. the employee who filled that position, Scott Meihack, who held the position at that time, became Numa Elementary School’s new principal and since moved on to become principal at Churchill County Middle School.