Smithville district places high school principal on leave during investigation

A Smithville principal accused of sharing medications, inappropriately taking students to ballgames, texting inappropriate messages and buying a vehicle for a student has been placed on administrative leave.

Rudy Papenfuhs, who is in his sixth year as principal of Smithville High School, had long been known for going out of his way to help students, Superintendent Todd Schuetz said Wednesday, but the district now thinks he has “willfully violated policies that protect our children.”

“The safety and well-being of our students is paramount,” Schuetz said.

A phone message left at Papenfuhs’ home Wednesday afternoon was not immediately returned. The district has scheduled a due process hearing for Papenfuhs on Oct. 16.

In a statement of charges released by the district Wednesday, the district listed accusations that Schuetz said involved about “half a dozen” students.

The district began an investigation after someone made a hotline call claiming that Papenfuhs had provided a male student an unknown pill at a district volleyball game Sept. 4, Schuetz said.

The investigation brought forward multiple claims that Papenfuhs violated several policies. He was placed on administrative leave Sept. 9 as the investigation continued.

The district says Papenfuhs also provided a student with a medicated cream that was prescribed to Papenfuhs.

The district alleges that he purchased a car for a student and that he took a student to a Chiefs game and a student to a Royals game with no parent or guardian present.

Papenfuhs is accused of a texting conversation with a student in which the principal said, “There is nothing I don’t love about you.”

He also is accused of using gifts and privileges as leverage to encourage “certain behavior by the students.”

A parent reported to the district that Papenfuhs showed a sexually explicit YouTube video to a student, the district said.

There have been no complaints or evidence of any inappropriate physical contact with students, Schuetz said.

A year ago, Papenfuhs was issued a written reprimand for telling “an inappropriate and sexually explicit joke” to six male students during a lunch period.

“We have always known that he (Papenfuhs) will do things for kids,” Schuetz said.

Papenfuhs has helped arrange free dental care for students who could’t afford it and has helped students get good deals on car purchases.

But policies do not allow giving students rides without a parent or guardian present, which the district says Papenfuhs did on many occasions. He is accused of having a student drive his personal vehicle to run an errand.

Papenfuhs’ violations, the charges say, were “willful and persistent.”

The district has notified parents and has met with students involved in the allegations, Schuetz said.

“It is important that they are OK,” he said.

This story was originally published September 24, 2014 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Smithville district places high school principal on leave during investigation."