Haverhill’s former assistant superintendent for curriculum Julie Kukenberger faces new controversy in her Scarborough, Maine, school district. (File photograph)
Police in Scarborough, Maine, have launched an investigation into threatening letters sent to the home of former Haverhill Assistant Superintendent Julie Kukenberger and the offices of her colleagues.
In a statement Wednesday, Scarborough police said a letter addressed to Kukenberger’s husband arrived at the couple’s home in March, alleging misconduct by Kukenberger, now the superintendent in Scarborough.
“The letter contains allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part of the superintendent, which the Board of Education has reviewed and deemed to be demonstrably false,” police said.
The letter writer urges the Kukenbergers to consider moving, because “it’s not ever going to get better here,” police said.
A copy of the same letter was sent to five school board members and the town manager. The school board notified police and urged them to look into the letter, which they deemed “threatening, demeaning, misogynistic and defamatory.”
“The individuals that received the letters feel that the intent is to harass and threaten the safety of the superintendent and as such we have taken this complaint seriously and are actively investigating it,” police said.
The investigation involving Kukenberger comes two months after she came under fire for allegations that she forced Scarborough High School Principal David Creech to resign. According to Creech’s attorney, if Creech did not resign, Kukenberger would not renew his contract for the following year. Students and community members have rallied around Creech, and called for Kukenberger’s resignation.
Haverhill’s former assistant superintendent for curriculum, Kukenberger served the city for two years before leaving her post in 2016 to become Scarborough’s new superintendent.