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The Problem - The Maeser Board and Executive Director enabled Gerber's misconduct 'for many years'

 

Note – All numbered records on this page can be found on the Sources page.

 

When the Maeser Board secretly fired teacher Natalie Gerber for misconduct in April 2025, an internal Maeser investigation concluded, among other things, that Gerber had exhibited “unprofessional behavior and conduct” for “many years,” and that, notwithstanding “coaching and counseling” by “at least 3 administrators,” “continual instances continue to happen each year” and “several incidents each year seem to recur.” (See #3, p. 10). In other words, Gerber's misconduct that led to her firing was not new - it had been going on "for many years." And, as detailed at Misconduct page, Gerber's misconduct harmed students.

Beyond the admission noted above from the investigation report that Gerber's misconduct was known "for many years" by the Maeser Board and Executive Director (see #3, p. 10), the investigation report also includes other specific times when the Maeser Board and Executive Director were notified of fireable conduct on the part of Gerber, but failed to take appropriate action. These include:

 

1. 15 months before Gerber was fired, Maeser Administrators were notified of the incident where Gerber engaged in road rage while driving a school bus full of students on a field trip (see #3, p. 10, discussed at [LINK]). The Maeser Board nevertheless renewed Gerber's contract to teach the following year at the same salary and benefits.
2. 13 months before Gerber was fired, Gerber told other teachers in the faculty room at Maeser Prep that she was going to kick a male student “where the sun doesn’t shine.” See #8, 1st page. Even though the then-Director personally overheard this comment, she was merely warned that trouble could result if the student heard about her comment, and the Maeser Board renewed Gerber's contract to teach the following year at the same salary and benefits.
3. 13 months before Gerber was fired, the Maeser Board was notified of the incident where Gerber angrily called a 12th-grade female student the B-word in front of other students (see #3, p. 10, discussed at [LINK]). The Maeser Board nevertheless renewed Gerber's contract to teach the following year at the same salary and benefits.
4. Between 4-8 months before Gerber was fired, the then-Director was notified, by a fellow teacher who personally overheard Gerber make the statements in question through an open doorway, that Gerber was: making sexually charged statements in class, discussing drinking alcohol and having hangovers in class, and berating students and their parents for their political beliefs in class. (see #3, p. 1-3). The then-Director's response was a brief discussion with Gerber in which Gerber was told the identity of the teacher who reported her misconduct, after which Gerber was sent right back into the classroom, but Gerber was careful to keep her door shut to avoid her fellow teacher from continuing to overhear what Gerber was saying to students.

 

Which begs the question, why did the Maeser Board and Administration tolerate Gerber's misconduct for "many years" even though her misconduct was harming students?

 

One answer to this question was articulated by Maeser Board member Paul Bingham in the illegal secret meeting, held by the Maeser Board on April 2, 2025, where the Maeser Board and Executive Director discussed firing Gerber, and where Mr. Bingham stated:

“However I do recall when we did the review of performance for the prior year, I think I’m correct in recalling that Ted [Gilbert] had a very serious conversation with Natalie [Gerber] at that time saying that, if I remember right, she did not receive any raise based on performance issues and essentially she was already put on notice that if things don’t change, then you’re done. She sort of got a pass in terms of all of the great things she’s done and the dedication to the school. But you’re not getting a raise this year because there are aspects of your behavior that can no longer be tolerated. It sounds like that uh, so in my opinion she was already on probation."  (See #2, at 9:25-10:11).

 

It is completely unacceptable that, "for many years," Gerber "sort of got a pass" from the Maeser Board and Executive Director for misconduct that was harming students. Obviously, Gerber should have been fired "many years" before she was actually fired in order to protect students from the harm she was causing them by her misconduct. 

 

How to Fix This Problem 

 

1. The members of the Maeser Board and the Executive Director who enabled Gerber's misconduct "for many years" need to be removed from their positions at Maeser Prep. These individuals are:

 

• Cynthia Shumway (Board CAO)

• Steve Whitehouse (Board CFO)

• Sandra Russell (Board member)

• Joanna Larsen (Board member)

• Jason Dodge (Board member) - done (resigned August 2025)

• Paul Bingham (Board member) - done (resigned September 2025)

• Samantha Stonely (Board secretary)

• Robyn Ellis (Executive Director)

• Ted Gilbert (Director) - done (resigned May 2025)

 

2. The removed individuals need to be replaced with individuals who will not enable a teacher to commit misconduct that harms students.

 

3. The new Maeser Board and Director need to publicly apologize for this years-long enablement of teacher misconduct and publicly commit to never enable teacher misconduct in the future.