District Pays $67,500 to Resolve Wrongful Termination Claim After Four-Month Tenure
The West Bonner County School District in Bonner County, Idaho has agreed to pay its former superintendent $67,500 in lost wages, damages, and attorney fees following a legal dispute over the circumstances of his departure — and whether he was ever legally qualified to hold the position in the first place. Settlement documents obtained through a public records request by KREM 2 News confirm the terms of the agreement, which was signed in early January.
The settlement brings to a close a contentious chapter for the North Idaho school district, which has faced significant leadership turbulence in recent years. Former superintendent Branden Durst served only four months in the role before the Idaho State Board of Education determined he did not hold the required state certification to legally serve as superintendent in Idaho.
Lawsuit Alleged Wrongful Termination, District Cited Lack of Certification
Durst filed a lawsuit against the district in February 2024, alleging wrongful termination, breach of contract, and lost wages and benefits. He originally sought more than $400,000 in damages — a figure that included over $220,000 in total compensation and $181,465 in lost state retirement benefits. The $67,500 settlement represents a fraction of that original demand.
At the center of the dispute was a letter Durst sent on September 25, 2023, in which he wrote, “I believe it’s necessary for me to step aside as Superintendent. My last day as Superintendent will be up to the board.” Durst later argued the letter was not a formal resignation but rather an attempt to address what he described as a hostile work environment created by certain board members. He maintained the district misrepresented the letter as a resignation and terminated him without cause.
The district pushed back, arguing in court records that even if Durst had not resigned, his employment contract was legally void because he had been denied the state certification required for the superintendent role under Idaho code.
Idaho law requires superintendent candidates to meet five specific criteria, including four years of full-time certificated experience working with students while under contract with an accredited school — a requirement Durst did not satisfy. When he was hired in June 2023, Durst applied to the Idaho State Board of Education for an emergency provisional certificate that would have allowed him to continue working toward meeting those requirements. That request was ultimately denied.
State Board Executive Director Matt Freeman made the district’s legal exposure clear in a written statement: “Absent Mr. Durst meeting all five requirements for a superintendent endorsement under Idaho code, there is no pathway for Mr. Durst to obtain the legally required certification to serve as the West Bonner County School District superintendent.” Freeman also noted that the Board lacked the legal authority to grant certificates to administrators in Durst’s position, following a review of Idaho statutes.
Settlement Closes the Case, Both Parties Deny Liability
The settlement, reached in late December and formally signed by Durst on January 2, stipulates that both parties deny liability but agreed to resolve the matter in order to, in the words of the agreement, “avoid litigation and buy its peace.”
Critically, the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning Durst is legally barred from filing another lawsuit against the district under the same claims. Taxpayers in the West Bonner County School District are responsible for the $67,500 payout, raising questions about the hiring process that placed an uncertified administrator in one of the district’s most critical leadership roles.
The West Bonner County School District has faced ongoing governance challenges, and the Durst controversy added to concerns about board oversight and administrative accountability in the Sandpoint-area district. Statewide school district governance issues have been a recurring topic across Idaho — for broader coverage, readers can visit Idaho News and the Idaho News Network.
What Comes Next
With the lawsuit now formally resolved, the West Bonner County School District can shift its focus toward stable leadership and academic operations. District officials have not publicly commented on steps taken to strengthen the superintendent hiring and vetting process going forward. Whether the board will face further scrutiny from state education officials — or from the district’s own community members — over how an uncertified candidate was placed in the superintendent role remains an open question heading into the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year.