The conservative majority on the Crook County School Board ran and ultimately won on a right-wing platform — and they could now choose a former gubernatorial candidate with similar views as their superintendent.
Marc Thielman, the controversial former superintendent in Alsea, submitted an application to be the next interim superintendent for the Crook County School District.
Former gubernatorial candidate and educator Mark Thielman says he will seek appointment as the next superintendent of the Crook County School District.
Emily Cureton Cook / Crook County School District
The school board will interview Thielman on Tuesday night, along with Crook County Assistant Superintendent Joel Hoff, who’s worked at the district for 10 years.
The process comes two months after a conservative slate took control of the board, running on a platform in favor of parents’ rights. Around the country, “parents’ rights” have often been focused COVID-19 policies, as well as an opposition to discussions of race, sexuality and gender identity in the classroom.
The Crook County School Board even included a question in its superintendent hiring packet asking applicants what they have “done to stand up for parental rights.”
Thielman gained notoriety during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Alsea School District made wearing masks optional. He said he’d like to bring a similar mindset to Crook County.
“I’d want to come in and kind of teach people how to create a culture of ‘no judgment,’ a culture of unity,” Thielman said.
He has also faced allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination by a former employee, which Thielman denies. He resigned from his position in Alsea in 2022 after the school board there hired a third-party investigator to look into complaints, according to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
The Crook County School Board decided to open applications for an interim superintendent, rather than appointing someone within the district temporarily. After an interim is selected, another process will start to hire a full-time superintendent. The school board would have the option of giving the interim person a full time position if they approved of that person’s job performance.
At least one board member has connections to Thielman. Board member Cheyenne Edgerly’s business gave him $1,000 in 2022 for his gubernatorial campaign.
While the donation raised a few eyebrows on social media, it’s likely legal. It is not considered a conflict of interest because Edgerly won’t benefit financially from the vote and she’s not related to Thielman, according to Ronald Bersin of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.
Thielman, who currently lives in Lane County, said he met some of the Crook County board members during one of his rallies while running for governor. He said he supported their campaign for the board and is similarly opposed to “critical race theory,” which the Oregon School Board Association denies is being taught in the state.
Despite not winning the Republican primary, Thielman appears to still be active in politics. He is executive director of an organization called Battleground Oregon, which has focused on unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.
Battleground Oregon’s PAC raised nearly $40,000 in 2023. It received a $10,000 donation as recently as last week, according to state campaign finance records.
Thielman said he would continue to work in politics and with the PAC if he became Crook County’s superintendent, as long as the school board allows him.
That stands in stark contrast to previous superintendent, Sara Johnson, who adopted an intentionally apolitical stance when dealing with far-right activists like Edgerly. Johnson ultimately resigned this month, saying the new board “did not share my vision.”