Earl Gingrich

Earl Gingrich
Sex	M

Earl Gingrich was the Spearfish Lake schools superintendent in August 2004. When Susan Langenderfer-McMahon first saw him in person, she had the impression of a small weasel with thinning black hair.^SU23

When he learned of Susan Langenderfer-McMahon's year in Germany he cancelled the agreement made by the principal and the previous superintendent and said she'd need to be in Spearfish Lake High School for two more years to graduate.^SU6

That became the trigger for Susan and the Record-Herald to investigate both Gingrich and the appointment process leading to the firing of Gingrich and the removal of Glenn Aho from the school board.^SU23 Harold Hekkinan, principal, was asked to be interim superintendent until a permanent appointment could be made.^SU24

Susan found that Gingrich had been charged with embezzlement by his previous employer, the Byzantium Consolidated School District.^SU14 He was subsequently convicted and was facing hard time.^SU26 She also found reference to an out-of-court settlement following charges by one student's parents though no details of what the charges were.^SU15

He had been college room-mate and was a good friend of Glenn Aho, which led Aho to trust him too much.^SU27