Palmerton superintendent separation package includes year's salary

Former Palmerton Area School District Superintendent Scot Engler will receive one-year salary as part of his separation agreement with the district.

The agreement, made public through a Right To Know request, calls for Palmerton to pay Engler $126,831, which was to be his pretax income for the 2019-20 school year.

Engler was under contract through 2022, and board President Kate Baumgardt called the decision to terminate it early a mutual decision.

“Mr. Engler and the board made the mutual decision to invoke the provision of the contract allowing for termination by mutual consent,” Baumgardt said in a public statement at last week’s board meeting.

“Mr. Engler is taking approved leave for the duration of the 2018-19 school year and resigning his commission effective June 30.”

The agreement calls for no member of Palmerton’s board, central office administration or human resources staff to make any statement regarding Engler that is inconsistent or contrary to the public statement read at the meeting.

Engler will be paid salary and benefits throughout the remainder of his leave, which started May 6, and, according to the agreement, will use a combination of accrued vacation, personal and sick time.

In addition to the year salary, the district agreed to pay Engler’s benefits until June 30, 2020, or until he found a full-time job with similar health care coverage. On the same night the separation agreement was approved at Palmerton last week, Engler was hired by Bangor Area School District as special education director, effective July 1, at a salary of $118,500.

Both sides agreed not to engage in any communications that disparage one another verbally or in writing.

“The school district shall continue to defend, hold harmless and indemnify Mr. Engler from any and all demands, claims, suits, actions and legal proceedings brought against him in his individual capacity or in his official capacity, provided that such (action) arose while he was acting, or reasonably believed he was acting, within the scope of his employment,” the agreement states.

The district acknowledged and certified there are no ongoing or outstanding investigations or adverse employment actions against Engler.

“The school district further agrees that not later than June 30, it will place a statement on the district website indicating that Engler has met his objective performance standards for the 2018-19 school year,” the agreement states.