The Boulder Valley school board unanimously voted Tuesday to fire Superintendent Bruce Messinger, who’s been on paid leave for more than a month while an unspecified personnel issue was investigated.

The board didn’t address the reason for his termination on Tuesday.

Instead, school board President Sam Fuqua thanked people for their patience and said the board proceeded in a “deliberative and cautious manner” with the investigation, adding that the nature of the complaint can’t be discussed.

“While we cannot share the results of this investigation and acknowledge that this may be frustrating to some of you, we ask that you respect the confidential nature of process,” he said.

An emotional Messinger, who didn’t attend the board meeting, said Tuesday that he was “incredibly disappointed” in both the decision and the process.

He said he requested and was denied the opportunity to meet with the board to address misinterpretations and inaccuracies in the report produced by an independent investigator.

“It’s hard to accept this process,” he said. “I’m disappointed that after six years of service, I wouldn’t be granted that opportunity.”

Though he would not address the nature of the complaint, he added that he “believes the grounds for termination were unfounded.”

Messinger said the board offered to negotiate a settlement, but he refused because he “wasn’t willing to affirm their actions.”

Based on the language in his contract, he was “unilaterally terminated” by the board and is owed severance pay for the remainder of his contract, not to exceed six months’ salary or $120,000.

His current salary is $261,654, and his contract would have ended in June 2019. He was hired as Boulder Valley’s superintendent on July 1, 2011, after serving as the superintendent of a school district in Montana.

The school board decided to place him on leave at a closed-door executive session on March 28, then announced the decision the next day in an email to district staff members. No public vote was taken.

Fuqua said the board followed the process recommended by its legal counsel in placing Messinger on leave.

Tuesday’s decision came after the board met in 14 closed-door executive sessions, including one Monday night and another Tuesday afternoon.

For the investigation, the board hired a lawyer from Boulder’s Berg Hill Greenleaf and Ruscitti, who in turn recommended the outside investigator who was hired by the board to conduct the investigation.

Messinger was chosen as the Superintendent of the Year for 2016 by the Colorado Association of School Executives, but hasn’t had the support of the full school board.

In October 2016, three of the seven school board members — Shelly Benford, Richard Garcia and Tom Miers — voted against renewing his contract. His evaluation noted a need for more openness and responsiveness to the board around key decisions, but was otherwise positive.

After Tuesday’s vote, Fuqua said, “The board wishes to assure the public and district employees that its action to terminate Dr. Messinger’s contract has been undertaken with deliberation, under the guidance of legal counsel and in conjunction with our district employment policy and process, which by statute could not be done publicly under these circumstances.”

He added that “this decision is a product of balancing the impacts upon the district, the rights of the parties to this investigation and the board’s responsibilities under district policies.”

Going forward, he said, Joe Sleeper, a retired Boulder Valley administrator who’s been serving as the interim superintendent, has agreed to stay on for the next few weeks until a long-term interim superintendent can be identified.

He said the board plans to conduct a national search, which is expected to take six to nine months, to find Messinger’s replacement.

During the investigation, Boulder Valley’s teachers union leadership raised concerns about a lack of transparency in the process. Teachers and community members also spoke at both the last board meeting and Tuesday’s meeting to urge the board to reinstate Messinger.

Tina Mueh, president of the Boulder Valley Education Association, said Tuesday that she was appealing “directly to those of you who are fair-minded and who have not, prior to this complaint, had any intention of getting rid of our superintendent.”

She didn’t call out specific board members by name, but said she imagined similar dynamics during executive sessions as during public board meetings.

“I know who’s orchestrated the whole process, from strategically selected counsel to purposefully exhausting executive sessions filled with long diatribes,” she said, adding that she feared that a vote on the superintendent’s contract has already been taken in secret before the public action.

“The majority of you need to stand up in the face of your colleagues,” she said.

Janna Butler, a teacher at Eldorado K-8, denounced the “heavy secrecy” of the process and said the board has “broken the trust of the community and the teachers.

“You are answerable to us, your constituents,” she said.

Several speakers praised Messinger’s leadership and said they’re concerned that the loss of his leadership will impact the collaborative relationship he fostered with teachers, the district’s work to implement the strategic plan and efforts to improve state K-12 funding.

“His loss would be a devastating blow to the BVSD community and would have unimaginable consequences,” Terri Mulford, vice president of the Boulder Valley Education Association, said before the vote.

Messinger on Tuesday said he’s proud of what he accomplished in Boulder Valley, including passing 2014’s $576 million bond issue, creating and implementing a strategic plan and raising graduation rates.

“I want to extend my thanks to the community for their support,” he said. “We have done incredible work. I care deeply about all that we’ve accomplished. I’m sad I won’t be able to continue in my leadership role.”

Amy Bounds: 303-473-1341, boundsa@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/boundsa