Though Lyle Superintendent Jim Dusso will leave at the end of the month, controversy surrounding his tenure isn’t quieting down.

Dusso alleges that board chairman Jerry Sampson and board member Dan King violated open meeting laws when they spoke to potential superintendent candidates on separate occasions. He said Friday morning he previously warned board members not to speak to applicants before publicly going through a vetting process.

“You clearly have to go through that process when you’re looking at hiring outside the district,” he said.

Sampson said he had discussed the controversy in Lyle with a potential applicant over coffee at Perkins but didn’t discuss job details. Contrary to what Dusso has said, Sampson said Dusso never spoke to him about a possible open meeting violation.

“That is very unprofessional,” Sampson said about the situation. He declined to comment further.

King said he received a call from a potential applicant after the applicant called the school. King directed the phone call elsewhere, he said.

“I told the applicant I don’t want to give off the appearance of favoring someone,” he said. “I haven’t even read his resume.”

King also said Dusso never contacted him about a possible violation, contrary to what Dusso said previously.

Dusso said Sampson and King violated open meeting law by speaking to applicants.

“It was never done with board approval,” Dusso said. “Should you choose to talk to a candidate that’s not done in an open forum, you are violating open law meeting.”

Both Greg Abbott, director of communications for MSBA and Steve Rizzi, the district’s legal counsel, say they couldn’t form an opinion on potential open meeting law violations without more information.

Dusso will leave the district on Feb. 29, moving his resignation up from June 30, when his superintendent’s contract would have expired. Dusso said in January he intended to finish out the year in Lyle but moved his resignation up this month.

Board members decided Thursday to search for a full-time interim superintendent to work from March 1 to June 30. The position will be posted on the district website, as well as the Minnesota School Board Association and Minnesota Association of School Administrators websites. In addition, board members will call a pool of available superintendents for applicants. The board will meet next Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. to narrow down applicants, hold interviews and hire someone. A superintendent must be in place by March 1 for the district to legally operate.