{"id":700,"date":"2026-04-23T23:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T23:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sd5bc.info\/?p=700"},"modified":"2026-04-24T05:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:07:46","slug":"ms-cynthia-stuart-and-school-district-no-5-a-15-year-record-of-denials-and-misrepresentations-exposed-by-documents-and-sworn-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sd5bc.info\/index.php\/2026\/04\/23\/ms-cynthia-stuart-and-school-district-no-5-a-15-year-record-of-denials-and-misrepresentations-exposed-by-documents-and-sworn-testimony\/","title":{"rendered":"Ms. Cynthia Stuart and School District No. 5: A 15-Year Record of Denials and Misrepresentations Exposed by Documents and Sworn Testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid.<\/p>Valery Legasov<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Dr. Bob Uttl<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On November 23, 2009, Mr. William (\u201cBill\u201d) Gook wrote to Ms. T advising that Mr. Glenn Dobie, Director of Instruction for School District No. 5<\/a>, would investigate 16 non-specific, undated allegations made by unknown individual(s) regarding Ms. T’s teaching (the \u201cMr. Gook November 23, 2009 Letter\u201d). A copy of that letter is available here, with most allegations redacted for privacy: Mr. Gook’s November 23, 2009 letter to Ms. T.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 16, 2009, Mr. Dobie completed and signed a report outlining his investigation (the \u201cDecember 16, 2009 Investigation Report\u201d). In the report, Mr. Dobie addressed each of the 16 allegations, briefly summarizing his findings and conclusions. A copy of the report is available here, with most allegations and conclusions redacted for privacy: Mr. Dobie’s December 16, 2009 Investigation Report to Mr. Gook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Mr. Dobie found no evidence to support the most serious allegations, including allegations of insubordination, and concluded that the alleged events did not occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Ms. Cynthia Stuart, Director of Human Resources, School District No. 5<\/a>, did not provide Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009, Investigation Report to Ms. T or to the Union, despite repeated requests. Instead, Ms. Stuart and School District 5 claimed, falsely, that Mr. Dobie\u2019s investigation had not been concluded and that no investigation report existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, in May 2010, Ms. Cynthia Stuart herself secretly provided Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009, Investigation Report to Dr. Todd Kettner without the knowledge or consent of Ms. T or the Union. Dr. Todd Kettner subsequently listed the report among the materials he reviewed in his June 2010 report on Ms. T, summarized the allegations in his report, but did not disclose that Mr. Dobie himself found the most serious allegations unfounded, supported by \u201cno evidence.\u201d Dr. Todd Kettner admitted to this failure in his own testimony under oath. However, when the Union requested Mr. Dobie\u2019s report, Ms. Stuart did not produce it and repeatedly denied its existence. She put up smoke and mirrors and asserted, for example, that Mr. Dobie\u2019s report \u201cmirrors exactly\u201d Mr. Gook\u2019s November 23, 2009, letter and suggested that the Union was misidentifying the documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms. T subsequently retained legal counsel and sought access to Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009, Investigation Report and related records under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. In response, School District No. 5<\/a>, represented by Ms. Frances C. Doyle from Harris & Company, disclosed an unsigned version of the report, while maintaining that no other, no signed versions, existed and that Mr. Dobie did not conclude his investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years later, once the litigation started, on July 12, 2017, Ms. Cynthia Stuart swore an affidavit in which she disclosed, for the first time, the existence of the signed December 16, 2009 Investigation Report by Mr. Dobie, and attached the copy of Dobie’s December 16, 2009 Investigation Report to her affidavit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 15, 2024, during cross-examination under oath, Ms. Cynthia Stuart confirmed that the signed report had in fact been issued by Mr. Dobie on December 16, 2009. And after some resistance, Ms. Stuart acknowledged that the report does not \u201cmirror exactly\u201d Mr. Gook\u2019s November 23, 2009, letter, and that the two documents had different intents and different messages: Mr. Gook\u2019s letter outlines the allegations to be investigated, whereas Mr. Dobie\u2019s report sets out the results of that investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What follows are the key details of this 15-year-long saga of Ms. Cythia Stuart and School District No. 5 denials, misrepresentations, and gaslighting about Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009, Investigation Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Todd Kettner Disclosure of Existence of Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2016 Investigation Letter to Mr. Gook<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On June 14, 2010, Dr. Todd Kettner issued his 5-page report on the assessment of Ms. T. On page 2, Dr. Kettner listed seven documents that he reviewed, including two documents described by Dr. Kettner as (1) \u201cNovember 23, 2009 Letter of Investigation from Mr. Gook to Ms. T\u201d and (2) \u201cDecember 16, 2009 Result of Investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Dr. Kettner\u2019s June 2010 Report, Ms. T and the Union learned for the first time that Mr. Glenn Dobie produced the results of his investigations back in December 16, 2009, the investigation initiated by Mr. Gook\u2019s November 23, 2009 letter, and that the School District No. 5 obviously shared the report, secretly, without Ms. T’s consent and knowledge, with Dr. Todd Kettner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms. Cynthia Stuart Repeatedly Lied to the Union About Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2016, Investigation Letter to Mr. Gook<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On May 4, 2011, @ 2:44PM, the Union emailed Ms. Cynthia Stuart<\/a> and requested \u201cDecember 15, 2009 Results of Investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Hello, Cynthia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have received a package of materials that are being forwarded to Dr. Suffield. Thank you. I have requested a copy of the December 16, 2009 result of investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook as it was forwarded to Dr. Kettner in the first assessment. May we please receive a copy of this document as soon as possible?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendy.<\/p>\nEmail from Wendy Turner to Cynthia Stuart, dated May 4, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On May 4, 2011, @ 4:36 PM, Ms. Cynthia Stuart replied<\/a> that she would look into this right away:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I will look into this right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

cynthia<\/p>\nEmail from Cynthia Stuart to Wendy Turner, dated May 4, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On May 5, 2011, @ 2:48 PM, the Union again requested<\/a> December 16, 2009 results of investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Hello Cynthia,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 I\u2019m also waiting for a response on receiving a copy of Glenn Dobie\u2019s Investigation report to Bill re: Ms. T.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendy<\/p>\nEmail from Wendy Turner to Cynthia Stuart, dated May 5, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On May 5, 2011, Ms. Cynthia Stuart replied<\/a> to the Union\u2019s request as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Hi again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I need to ensure that the confidential letter from Glenn to Bill was included in the original package. This is not normally released to anyone \u2013 you would however, have been a union representative during the follow up conversation or have received copies of letters that went to Ms. T from BG [Bill Gook] as a result of concluding the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks Wendy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

cynthia<\/p>\nEmail from Cynthia Stuart to Wendy Turner, dated May 5, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On May 12, 2011, the Union continued to seek<\/a> Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009 investigation results letter to Mr. Gook and advanced the issue to Step Three of the Grievance process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Dear Ms. Stuart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re: Grievance #2011.10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Union asserts in this grievance that the Board has not produced a copy of the December 16, 2009 Result of Investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook which the Association has made requests for from the Human Resource Director Ms. Cynthia Stuart. This report has been included in a neuropscyhological assessment in a process which may lead to the dismissal of a member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yours truly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CRANBROOK AND FERNIE TEACHER\u2019S ASSOCIATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendy Turner [&] Cindy Gleb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

cc: Carol Tirk, BCTF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Gook, Superintendent of Schools\/CEO SD5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Chutter, BCPSEA<\/p>\nLetter from the Union to Cynthia Stuart, dated May 12, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On June 6, 2011, the Union continued attempts<\/a> to obtain Mr. Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009 letter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Dear Ms. Stuart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re: Grievance #2011.10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Union asserts in this grievance that the Board has not produced a copy of the December 16, 2009 Result of Investigation from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook which the Association has made requests for from the Human Resource Director Ms. Cynthia Stuart. This report has been included in a neuropscyhological assessment in a process which may lead to the dismissal of a member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yours truly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CRANBROOK AND FERNIE TEACHER\u2019S ASSOCIATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wendy Turner [&] Cindy Gleb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

cc: Carol Tirk, BCTF<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Gook, Superintentend of Schools\/CEO SD5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Chutter, BCPSEA<\/p>\nLetter from the Union to Cynthia Stuart, dated June 6, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On June 21, 2011, Ms. Cynthia Stuart and Ms. Wendy Turner met regarding Grievance 2011.10. According to Ms. Stuart\u2019s authenticated handwritten notes<\/a>, Grievance 2011.10 was moved to Step 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 27, 2011, Ms. Cynthia Stuart wrote a rather astonishing response<\/a> to the Union seeking Dobie\u2019s December 16, 2009 letter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

RE: Grievance 2011.10 \u2013 Results of Investigations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Cindy and Wendy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spent some time reviewing Ms. T\u2019s file and other correspondence and did not discover that we sent a letter from Mr. Dobie to Mr. Gook dated December 16, 2009 that you claim was sent \u201c\u2026 to be included in a neuropsychological assessment\u2026\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have attached three letters dated November 23, 2009, January 7, 2010 and March 29, 2010 which we wonder may be the letters you are referring to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any confidential letters between the investigator and the Superintendent that reference an investigation are not released to anyone. Mr. Gook would then have then been in touch with you to explain the resulting actions and decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would submit, there is no merit to this grievance and it therefore be withdrawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yours Truly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cynthia Stuart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director of Instruction\/Human Resources<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cc: Doug McPhee, Director of Instruction\/Health and Safety<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Chutter, BCPSEA<\/p>\nLetter from Cynthia Stuart to the Union, dated June 27, 2011<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ms. Stuart attached<\/p>\n\n\n\n