Justin Baugh oversaw the financial affairs of Garfield School District under what appears to be an oddly generous contract before landing a similar, higher-paid position at the newly formed Canyons School District.

Now the South Jordan man is under investigation by the Utah State Auditor and Garfield County Attorney's Office.

Details are scarce. Garfield County Attorney Barry Huntington awaits findings of the state auditor and can't yet say whether he'll file criminal charges. State Auditor Auston Johnson would say only that his probe involves a full audit of Garfield's finances.

But it coincides with tremendous upheaval for the southern Utah district, including the turnover of three school board members and superintendent George Park being placed on paid administrative leave.

Park was placed on leave "without cause" pending the investigation, but is not the focus of it, said Garfield Board of Education President Ken Platt, who described the board's action as precautionary.

"Rumors are going around saying money is missing, but we have nothing to substantiate that. We thought we ought to have an audit, which is a good idea anytime you change business administrators," said Platt.

Baugh was Garfield's business administrator, or chief financial officer, for three years before resigning last May to take a higher paying, $84,000 job at Canyons District as assistant director of accounting, budgeting and auditing.

Three months into that job, Baugh resigned. Canyons officials won't say whether his Aug. 17 resignation was voluntary.

"I can't discuss personnel matters," said Canyons spokeswoman Jennifer Toomer-Cook, noting her district has "not been contacted in connection with the [state auditor's] probe."

Baugh won't discuss his reasons for resigning, saying "that's between me and my family." He added: "I don't know anything about an investigation."

But an unusual employment contract that Baugh signed with Garfield is stirring controversy.

A copy of the contract obtained through Utah's open records law shows Garfield agreeing to pay Baugh an annual salary of $64,262. The agreement covers the time period from June 26, 2008 through Dec. 31, 2010.

All other provisions are blacked out. But Platt said the document stipulates Baugh can quit early and still collect the salary he would have earned those two years. It also promises health, dental and other benefits to Baugh and his wife until both become eligible for Medicare at age 65, said Platt.

The agreement was signed by Baugh, superintendent George Park and former school board president Bill Weppner.

Neither Weppner nor Park could be reached for comment Wednesday. But during an interview last week, Park called Baugh "a competent business manager."

In the same interview, Park said he believes the reason he was placed on paid leave was "political."

Last November, three new members were elected to Garfield's five-person board. Earlier in the year, another member stepped down, citing family health problems.

"I went from being admired, appreciated and greatly supported to just the opposite," said Park.

Baugh said he is not trying to collect on the contract, though he insists it wasn't much different from those of other top-level administrators at Garfield.

"It wasn't something I dreamed up on my own," Baugh said Wednesday.

But Platt called the contract "bogus." He said the district "has no intentions of honoring it" and that the full board never approved it.

"The first time I saw it was last June or July after Justin resigned. I don't know why Weppner signed it," said Platt. "Maybe he didn't sign it. Maybe it was changed."

Park, meanwhile, is looking for a job elsewhere and says he looks forward to being exonerated.

The state auditor's investigation could take several months or more.

kstewart@sltrib.com