This paper presents the findings of a single case study of a particular board of education's decision-making process in a crisis situation, and explores interpretation of those findings from two theoretical perspectives. The crisis resulted from the charges against and conviction of the superintendent for a sexual assault on a 17-year-old female student. The study combines elements of qualitative research and historical analysis. Answers to descriptive and interpretive research questions result from inductive content analysis of 42 public documents and transcripts from 10 oral testimony interviews. Of the board's 11 documented decisions, 2 were identified as key or crucial decisions. They were: (1) the decision to delay action with respect to the superintendent's continuing employment until after the court verdict; and (2) the decision, after the conviction, to allow the superintendent to retire early in a settlement that enhanced his retirement benefits. Ten factors and issues influencing the two key decisions are discussed. The theoretical interpretations explored are the Constraints Model of Policymaking Processes developed by Irving Janus (1989) and selected findings from research on school board culture. (Contains 29 references.) (RR)