Trial set for OPI candidate Allen, while she defends actions as ‘bold stand for parental rights’

A Republican candidate for state school superintendent faces a jury trial for obstructing a peace officer, but she continues to lead her district, and she defends the actions that led to her arrest as “a bold stand for parental rights.”

Sharyl Allen remains on staff as superintendent-principal for Harrison Public Schools in Madison County and plans to serve through June 30 when her contract ends, she said Friday in a phone interview.

Allen is running in the Republican primary for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction against Townsend Superintendent Susie Hedalen. Hedalen has outraised her in cash and outgunned her with endorsements including Gov. Greg Gianforte’s.

Allen pled not guilty this week to a charge of obstructing a peace officer. In a news release, she cited board policy to defend her actions.

A jury trial is on the calendar for Sept. 4 in Madison County Justice Court, according to a scheduling order.

A complaint said she unlawfully prevented investigators, including one from the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations, from interviewing students who are potential crime victims on April 22; additional information about the allegations was not available.

Allen, however, defended her actions as protecting parents and staying in line with board policy in a news release shared by the Boulder Monitor.

“Allen’s arrest came as a result of her unwavering insistence that parents be notified before minor children are interrogated,” the news release said.

In the news release, Allen quoted board policy: “The student’s parent or guardian should be present, if practicable, during any interrogation on school premises.”

A school board agenda for a recent special meeting said trustees would consider Allen’s contract. The board chair has not responded to messages via Harrison Public Schools, but Allen said the board did not take action on it.

A meeting agenda Friday stating potential action related to “the complaint” is listed as canceled, although it was not specific about the complaint up for discussion. 

Earlier this year, Allen said she told the board she still planned to resign after the school year, as she initially intended. She said caring for a family member is part of her motivation.

In the phone call Friday, she addressed her continued campaign for statewide office as well as her unexpected departures from other jobs, including in public clashes with parents calling for her termination.

Allen said she would have the capacity to take on a statewide position that oversees all public schools despite stepping aside at Harrison because she served as deputy superintendent for the Office of Public Instruction and understands the job.

She said the position offers flexibility, she knows how to balance the workload, and the family member she’s caring for is supportive of her run for public office.

“It’s a whole different type of leadership than at a school level,” Allen said.

In the news release, Allen said she has more than 40 years in education.

She left her job at the Office of Public Instruction last June after she determined she would run for superintendent, she said, but she declined Friday to discuss how her decision to leave came about.

“That was a conversation with the state superintendent, which is confidential, and I’m going to leave it confidential,” Allen said.

She also cited confidentiality in declining to explain the reasons she prematurely left other education positions in Montana and in Arizona.

“There’s lots and lots of speculation, and I would just share that speculation does not equal truth,” Allen said.

In 2013, the Grand Canyon School Board in Arizona unanimously voted to terminate her as superintendent without explanation, and in Montana, Allen resigned from Conrad Public Schools in 2019 following criticism from parents.

“When there’s conversations that take place in closed sessions, the executive sessions, those are confidential,” Allen said. “I’m going to hold to the integrity of what I agreed to in those meetings.”

She also said people can either dig up information from the past that says “this is a bad person,” and this person is “inept,” or people can look to the future, as she said she and most of the people who talk with her are doing.

“I’m keeping my eyes on the work that is in front of me,” Allen said.

Keila Szpaller is deputy editor of the Daily Montanan, a nonprofit newsroom.