The principal of East High School is stepping down, and his resignation continues a trend of leadership changes in the Salt Lake City School District that’s caught the attention of state lawmakers.

Ryan Oaks’ last day will be June 30, district spokesperson Yándary Chatwin confirmed.

“Principal Oaks is returning to what he loves most: teaching,” Chatwin said. She did not elaborate on what’s next for the longtime educator.

His departure comes as the state separately investigates how the Salt Lake City School District handles employee discipline. There’s no indication his resignation is related to employee discipline.

That broader investigation began after members of the Legislative Audit Subcommittee voted April 16 to audit the district’s employee disciplinary practices and procedures.

The move expanded the scope of an existing audit of the Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC), the Utah State Board of Education committee charged with hearing and investigating allegations of educator misconduct throughout the state.

Just days after the subcommittee’s vote, Highland High School Principal Jeremey Chatterton was placed on administrative leave for reasons district officials declined to disclose. Community members launched an online petition calling for his reinstatement.

He returned to the school on May 11, Chatwin told The Salt Lake Tribune.

The same month Chatterton was placed on leave, district officials began investigating the circumstances of a February cheerleading team trip to California, which the spouse of an assistant cheerleading coach attended.

The spouse, a registered sex offender, was not an appointed volunteer or chaperone and therefore not subject to a background check. The district is now expanding its background check requirements as it continues an ongoing investigation.

“Student safety is always our first priority. The moment we understood the circumstances of the trip, we began investigating,” Chatwin previously told The Tribune.

Lawmakers first began asking questions about educator discipline in the district last year, after West High’s former principal, Jared Wright, was put on unexplained leave.

On Jan. 17, 2025, roughly 200 students walked out of class to protest the decision. Wright resigned days later.

Wright announced the move on his personal Facebook page on Jan. 21, 2025, writing that “due to some pressing family obligations, I have decided to resign and step down as principal of West High School.”

“I look forward to seeking other opportunities in the field of education when the time is right,” Wright said.

The circumstances surrounding Wright’s resignation remained a mystery until September last year, when the Utah Legislature’s Rules Review and General Oversight Committee subpoenaed Wright and West High’s former assistant principal, Sarah Thomas.

Both testified under oath that Wright had raised safety concerns and pressed for more information after a student injured another student in a campus stabbing in 2023. The pair argued district leaders retaliated against him for his persistence, leading to his sudden and unexplained resignation.

In a statement at the time, district officials called the retaliation claims “categorically false.”

A month later, Salt Lake City School District Superintendent Elizabeth Grant also testified before the committee, calling Wright’s allegations “ludicrous.”

But lawmakers remained skeptical. Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, argued that it seemed like the district was looking for a reason to terminate Wright.

“It sure does feel like there was a witch hunt back through the records to try and find a reason to give Mr. Wright his walking papers,” McCay told Grant.

Lawmakers have not provided a timeline for the district disciplinary audit but continue to actively investigate.