West Marin School’s interim principal, Rey Mayoral, resigned from his position last Thursday, after the Light published a story about a 2010 settlement with a woman who accused him of sexual assault, harassment and retaliation during his time at a school district in Oregon. Mr. Mayoral had been hired for the role, which oversees kindergarten through grade eight across West Marin and Inverness Schools, earlier this month. Bob Raines, superintendent of Shoreline Unified School District, sent a note to parents on Thursday informing them of Mr. Mayoral’s departure. The letter noted that the district would provide a statement after it had investigated the issue. Mr. Raines told the Light that Mr. Mayoral had “said that, given the information that was shared in the article, he felt it was best to step away and not put the district, the school, or himself, frankly, through that any longer.” Mr. Raines hopes to have a new interim principal by January and said the goal is to post the full-time principal opening by the end of March. Mr. Mayoral had served in many other districts without incident and with commendation. Mary Jane Burke, the superintendent of Marin County schools, told the Light last week that the Department of Justice background checks that employees undergo would not flag incidents without an arrest or conviction of wrongdoing. Still, Mr. Raines said he would probably do more detailed research into candidates than he has in the past. “Once burned, twice shy,” he noted. In the meantime, Mr. Raines will again take over as interim principal for West Marin and Inverness Schools; he had served in that role since Chris Eckert began an indefinite medical leave in November. Mr. Eckert was hired as an interim principal this year after the board demoted former principal Matt Nagle to a kindergarten through second grade teaching position at the Bodega Bay School. Mr. Raines said of his added responsibilities, “I can’t be here 24/7, but when I’m here I connect with teachers to make sure things are handled.” Still, he noted that the stopgap measure was “not sustainable.” At the regular school board meeting last Thursday in Tomales, teachers and administrative members of the school’s staff spoke of being stretched thin for resources and support. “Now, with Rey gone, we’re breaking,” Julie Cassel, the eighth-grade teacher at West Marin School, said. “People are done. We’re struggling.” The plaintiff in Mr. Mayoral’s case was a counselor who worked with him at McKay High School in Salem, Ore. and alleged that he had sexually harassed her. Though she did not charge him with sexual assault, she described physical and sexual assault at his home in March 2002. Two other women in the school district had issued public complaints about Mr. Mayoral that were also included in the suit. All three reported that Mr. Mayoral had acted in a retaliatory manner. A 2009 appeals court decision found validity in some of the plaintiff’s claims, though the case was ultimately settled in 2010.