‘He preyed on the weak’: Shawnee Mission principal accused of sexism, racism, bullying
Update: The Shawnee Mission school district will hire an outside investigator to look into allegations against Paul Colwell. Story here.
When a female employee at Shawnee Mission Horizons High School brought up a concern to Principal Paul Colwell, he allegedly told her to “grow a pair of ovaries,” according to a complaint filed with the district.
Days later at a holiday gift exchange with staff, Colwell gave another female employee a round, blue Christmas ornament inscribed with the word “balls.”
Staff and students say these are only a fraction of many incidents in the toxic culture of Colwell’s five years as principal at the district’s alternative school.
In emails obtained by The Star and in interviews, 15 current and former employees and students accuse Colwell of sexual harassment and more. They say he bullied and singled out certain students, especially students of color, and made sexist and racist remarks about them. They say he mistreated transgender students and is the reason one became suicidal. They say he was more of a dictator than a principal, intimidating staff, driving many to seek transfers.
“He really preyed on the weak and vulnerable,” said an employee, one of six who requested anonymity for this story for fear of retaliation by the school district.
“He tormented so many kids’ lives and teachers’ lives in that school for so many years,” said Dakota Pfeiffer, who graduated last year. “I know so many kids could have graduated and gone on to do so many amazing things with their lives, if only Mr. Colwell had not been the way he was and had not been the principal at the time.”
After years of remaining silent for fear of losing their jobs, some employees brought their concerns to the district’s human resources department this year for the first time. They also wrote letters to the school board, letters left unanswered or with responses citing district policy on personnel issues.
After an investigation into several claims, in March, staff said, it appeared the district finally took action. Colwell announced in an email that he would leave Horizons and start as an assistant principal at Shawnee Mission West High School in the upcoming school year.
“Moving him to West doesn’t fix the problem. He’s still going to be around students,” one employee said. “I’m afraid for him to be at West.”
Colwell declined to discuss the allegations with The Star, and said, without naming specifics, “A lot of what is out there is inaccurate.”
David Smith, spokesman for the Shawnee Mission school district, did not comment on the complaints or on Colwell’s placement at Shawnee Mission West.
In an email Friday, he said he cannot address specific accusations against Colwell, “either because I am prohibited by laws meant to protect the individual privacy rights of the persons involved, or because we do not discuss the content of specific personnel deliberations.”
‘The kids he would pick on’
For many of its roughly 130 students, Horizons is either a fresh start or a chance to graduate, staff members said. Many transfer to the alternative school, at 5900 Lamar Ave. in Mission, after having issues at home or at their previous school.
“It’s the alternative school. So kids that are bullied come to the school, kids in the court system, kids who are pregnant, transgender kids,” one employee said. “You would think that the alternative school would be a safe place, but I think it would be really shocking for people to know it’s actually a more dangerous place because it’s smaller and there’s a greater potential for students to be abused by the people in charge.”
The school has 17 staff members. Colwell, who started there in 2015 after serving as principal at Turner High School, was the lone administrator — there is no assistant principal. Colwell also has helped oversee the district’s Project Finish program, an online high school diploma program for adults.
Many students interviewed spoke highly overall about their time at Horizons. And a few students and employees said they only had positive experiences with Colwell.
But several saw a pattern of Colwell “intimidating” or “harassing” certain students, often doling out punishments that they felt did not match the offense nor follow district policies.
“I noticed he was picking on kids in his own way. I could tell that he wasn’t being fair to them evenly,” said Doug McClure, a former custodian at Horizons. “He had the kids that he liked and the kids he would pick on. He had this attitude that he was the boss and he was going to do it his way, and that was about it.”
“I was there 10 years, and he was there for three or four of those years,” McClure said. “But I’ve never noticed any of the other administrators acting like he does with some of the students.”
Some people interviewed said they are especially concerned by Colwell’s treatment of students of color, accusing him of making racist or insensitive remarks. A human resources complaint spells out several statements Colwell allegedly said, such as, “All you Black girls look the same.”
“A student vented to me about how disrespected he felt when Mr. Colwell pulled him into his office and asked him if he was in a gang because he was wearing too much of a certain color,” an employee wrote in an email to the school board.
One day before winter break of her junior year, Pfeiffer skipped class with a friend.
Colwell caught them “goofing around” in the gym, she said, then escorted them to the office. Pfeiffer, who is white, was sent back to class. Her friend, who is Black, was suspended and eventually dropped out, said several employees familiar with the incident.
“I was super upset about it,” Pfeiffer said. “I told him, if you’re going to kick her out, you’re going to kick me out too. He told me this doesn’t involve you and has nothing to do with you, and he sent me back to class.”
While the other student could not be reached by The Star, and Colwell refused to discuss any allegations, several former and current employees described the same sequence of events.
“She was a Black female and she was a good student. I don’t think she had a record, or at least nothing more substantial on her file at school than (Pfeiffer) did at the time,” said one employee. “There were so many different ways it could have been handled. He suspended her right before finals, which really set her up to fail, and that’s exactly what happened.”
“She got suspended and I know she reacted. She cussed at him. But there is a litany of students who cussed at Mr. Colwell and did not get in trouble,” another employee said. “All of her teachers loved her. She was passing her classes, making a good turnaround, but Mr. Colwell was hounding her. She was definitely targeted in that sense.”
One employee said of Colwell’s treatment of students: “I think race was part of it, but I don’t think it was just about race. He would do this to white students as well. He would do it to the weaker students, not to make that judgment, but he’s a bully.”
Former students and employees shared several other incidents, in interviews, emails and text messages, where they felt that certain students were targeted by Colwell, then harassed, disproportionately punished and eventually led to drop out.
Many said they felt they had no one to turn to with their concerns because Colwell was the only administrator.
In an email of grievances sent to school board President Heather Ousley in March, one employee wrote that Colwell, “frequently kicks kids out of our program” and “these students are given no due process and there are no policies and procedures around returning students to their home schools.”
“Over the past few years, I have tried and failed to protect my students,” the email said. “Horizons students have gone to school every day without the safety and security of having consistent expectations, equity, due process rights, and protection from harassment.
“Our principal, Paul Colwell, has bullied, harassed and used unilateral decision making to destroy the lives of some of our students. In addition to this, he has used intimidation and harassment to silence the teachers that care for these kids the most.”
Ousley did not return requests for comment. Smith said after he spoke with Ousley that, “we both agree that it would be inappropriate for her to comment on the issues you have raised.”
‘A not very nice principal’
Complaints and grievances obtained by The Star also accuse Colwell of making inappropriate comments toward female students and employees. One complaint states that Colwell allegedly commented on female students’ outfits, including “that thong is not appropriate with that dress.”
“There were a couple times where he would tell me I looked good because I looked professional, and then there were other students who he would call a ho in front of me, or tell them they were slutty in front of me,” said Alyssa Kirkpatrick, who graduated this year. “He would comment on everything I wore and look at the other students and tell me they look skanky.”
“It’s a little weird. It is creepy. But I’m used to it. I don’t care personally. I just blow it off and it doesn’t make me uncomfortable anymore because I’m so used to it.”
Several employees, in emails obtained by The Star and in interviews, accused Colwell of mishandling sexual assault complaints. At least two female students asked to change their schedules so they would not have to be in the same classes with male students whom they said sexually assaulted them, but Colwell allegedly denied their requests, according to an email sent to the school board.
In a different incident, a former student told The Star she was sexually assaulted in a classroom during her sophomore year. She said she reported it two days later and was called into Colwell’s office with the male school resource officer.
“I talked to him two days after the incident happened and he told me I should have told him sooner, and that there wasn’t much he could do about it now,” the student said in a message to The Star. “All he did was remove that student out of that class for the next two weeks.”
Those were the two weeks before summer break, she said, “so I understand how he could have felt like he did a good job.” But after the summer, she was placed in a class with the student once again, she said.
“I feel like I should have been informed of legal proceedings I could continue with if I wanted to press charges, but nothing like that was talked about,” she said. “I wish I would have talked to a police officer outside of that to move forward with things, but I was too overwhelmed and really only had the support of my best friend. We were both 16 and didn’t know what to do other than talk to the authorities at school.”
When Pfeiffer was a student, she mostly got along with Colwell, she said. But she always felt that she was treated differently than some other students in the school.
“I never had a problem with him and he didn’t really have a problem with me. But he had problems with my other friends in the school, many that were of color,” she said. “I never gave into it. Because I was like, you treat all these other people like crap but you treat me nicely.”
Others concurred.
“I saw him be a not very nice principal to other students and staff,” Kirkpatrick said. “There were some students he would particularly pick on because they were quote-unquote bad kids, but they really weren’t. He would … make fun of them. I personally didn’t have issues because I stayed off his radar.”
A couple of other former students interviewed by The Star said they had no problem with Colwell as their principal. Corina Dopson, who graduated this year, said she only saw him being respectful and was thankful he helped her finish high school. Recent graduate Dylan Reynolds agreed and said, “Me and my group of friends are pretty diverse and never had any problem.”
Matt Crandall, a music teacher at the school, defended Colwell and argued against claims that he made racist or inappropriate remarks.
“I’ve seen him interact positively with students,” Crandall said. “He will joke around with students when he feels it’s appropriate to do that, as we all do. And he’ll be firm when he needs to be firm. It’s a challenging environment to work in as far as the student population goes. But I’ve felt really supported by him.”
Another teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, said she found Colwell friendly and responsive to her concerns. She argued that staff are divided, partly because of Colwell and partly because of differences in political and other beliefs.
“That is true in any workplace. None, however, elevated to the hate-filled level that Horizons did,” she said in an email. “It’s unfortunate and mirrors, in a way, what is happening in our society right now. People are unhappy and really need someone to blame. A scapegoat? Maybe, or maybe he is a rotten apple, like a few of the cops we’ve seen lately. I’m not judge, nor jury, I’m simply a witness.”
While the teacher said she did not witness the inappropriate behavior that others accuse Colwell of, she said of the allegations, in an email to The Star, “I don’t think they are straight up lies (I hope we have risen above that).”
“I do, however, think that some things are taken out of context or not repeated in the ‘spirit’ in which they are said. He may have had poor taste at times, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy, not prejudiced or anti-anything. I don’t doubt that.”
’Intentional discrimination’
Toward the end of his senior year, Tyler Tang transferred to Horizons. On his first day, he told all of his teachers that he wanted to be called Tyler, rather than his female birth name listed on the roster.
Shortly after, Tang said, he was called into Colwell’s office.
“I sit down and he tells me I’m not allowed to go by Tyler unless my mom knows. … He tells me that I had until Friday to tell my mom I go by Tyler or he was going to tell her,” Tang told The Star.
Tang had a difficult relationship with his mother at the time and was worried she would not accept him, he said. He feared becoming homeless at age 17.
His mind started racing: “How do you explain to (your) parent that you go by a whole other name without explaining that you are transgender?”
But “terrified of being kicked out,” he confronted his mom.
“I wasn’t ready to come out,” Tang said. “I wasn’t planning on coming out until I was out of high school or moved out. I regret coming out, or shall I (say) being forced to, as soon as I did.”
Tang later posted a YouTube video describing the incident and how it led him to become suicidal. If it weren’t for two teachers he confided in, he said, “I promise you I would’ve killed myself while attending Horizons High School.”
“He would just sit in class and cry. Teachers told (Colwell), this is hurting the kids. You can’t do this,” one staff member told The Star.
“(Colwell) would just, he would out kids. And that’s a very dangerous thing to do,” another employee said.
Many said there were a a couple of other staff members who continued to call Tang by his birth name.
But with the help of a couple of teachers, Tang and his mom filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which submitted a letter to Colwell in support of the student.
“Horizons staff are not legally required to misgender Tyler (Tang) or use his birth name in his yearbook or in any other document,” Lauren Bonds, the ACLU’s legal director, wrote in the letter. “In fact, the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX compel the opposite. Horizons must allow Tyler to use a name consistent with his gender identity in class, in the yearbook, and on his diploma.”
In an interview, Bonds said the ACLU receives several complaints about schools refusing to use transgender students’ chosen names.
“We always want to assume there’s no malicious intent and maybe school administrators just don’t know the law,” Bonds said. “That’s the place we started with at Horizons, although, it did seem that there was maybe more going on and some kind of intentional discrimination.”
In an email to The Star, Smith said, “We have not had a specific Board of Education policy on whether or not to receive parental permission before calling a student by a different name. We do have specific policies in place to ensure that students and staff are able to register complaints, without fear of harassment or retaliation.”
After the ACLU got involved, Tang was allowed to be called his chosen name in the yearbook and at graduation, staff said. But he said the emotional damage stayed with him. He called it “the absolute worst part of my life.”
For about one year, he repeatedly had nightmares about not being allowed to leave the school, he said.
“(Colwell) made me feel small and like he had all the power over me,” Tang said. “I was getting extremely bullied at that school by not only students but staff too. I had few authority figures I felt safe turning to. And the ones I felt I could talk to about it were scared of losing their jobs.”
‘They need to clean house’
Before winter break, staff members gathered around to exchange gifts during a Secret Santa party.
One teacher unwrapped her gift from Colwell, unveiling a Christmas ornament with the word “balls” written on it.
“She opened it in front of me and other teachers and it was really awkward. I thought it was really strange that he would bring that to school and have her open it at school,” one employee said. “Yes, it seems silly. But it was uncomfortable. And I thought to myself silently, is he losing it? Because anybody with common sense would know that’s not appropriate.”
For years, employees said their concerns were left unaddressed at the school, but they were afraid to tell the district for fear of losing their jobs.
Some staff members said they considered asking for a transfer to a different school. In February, one employee emailed human resources with just such a request from the coming school year.
“I cannot actively be a part of a culture that is harming students and gives zero regard for their mental health,” the email said. “When I state my concerns for students with my administration I am met with contempt and disrespect. I am not willing to get in a power struggle every day regarding what is best for kids.”
In response, Michael Schumacher, director of secondary human resources, said in an email obtained by The Star that he would gather more information. He added, “I am of course concerned about how you are feeling. … Having said that, the question I always ask and will ask of you as well, is if you have shared your concerns with Mr. Colwell?”
Many said they stayed to “protect” the students from Colwell.
“At an alternative school, you have to be really compassionate toward these students because many of them have faced a high level of trauma,” one employee said. “But his treatment of students caused more trauma.”
But after the Christmas party, some employees said they could no longer stay silent. They filed an official complaint with human resources, according to emails obtained by The Star. The district deemed some claims were not substantiated as violations of district policy, according to a document obtained by The Star.
Then in March, Schumacher confirmed in a letter that the gift exchange incident was substantiated and violated the district’s policy on sexual harassment.
Some thought Colwell would be held accountable.
But a few days later, in a meeting with employees, Schumacher explained that Colwell would remain the Horizons principal.
He said John McKinney, director of family and student services, would move his office to Horizons and act as a liaison between staff and Colwell.
“It is not sustainable forever ... we would agree with that,” Schumacher told staff, according to an audio file obtained by The Star. “For the foreseeable future, that’s the solution that we could come up with. And I can tell you that there’s been a tremendous amount of thought and resources committed to trying to make this something that is agreeable.”
Employees said they were “shocked.”
“That school’s culture is a mess, and this is the worst possible thing that any, anybody could do for that school in this moment,” an employee responded.
“Multiple females on his staff told you about sexual harassment. It wasn’t just one comment or one instance, there were multiple,” another staff member said.
They then felt the complaint was being turned against them. In the meeting, Schumacher said that there were several “anonymous complaints” against the staff who had come forward.
“We all need to be operating in a professional manner and not making assumptions about the principal,” Schumacher said.
“This feels very much like retaliation against (us) for doing this entire process,” an employee told Schumacher.
“This feels very, very retaliatory.”
Schumacher was on vacation this past week and did not return requests for comment. In the meeting, he said he was simply bringing up concerns that other staff members mentioned during his investigation.
Frustrated that Colwell would remain principal despite a substantiated sexual harassment claim, some sent letters to the school board. Emails detailing dozens of grievances were largely left unanswered, until Superintendent Mike Fulton responded with an email describing the district’s policy for addressing complaints.
Then on March 31, Colwell announced in an email that he would move to Shawnee Mission West High School — one of the most racially diverse schools in the district — as an assistant principal this upcoming school year.
“It’s just absurd,” an employee said.
“They need to clean house. They need to stop moving people around,” another employee said. “The district’s deep equity training is a Band-Aid. It doesn’t mean anything. Nobody is held accountable.”
Many parents, teachers and students have called for Colwell to be fired. Some accuse the human resources department of protecting Colwell and threatening the employees who came forward.
On Monday, the school board discussed changes to the district’s policy for handling student and staff complaints, in large part to comply with new federal changes to Title IX. The board will likely vote on the changes in July, officials said.
In an email to The Star, Smith said, “I am confident that the district has strong policies in place for individuals who wish to lodge complaints, and to protect anyone who does file a complaint from harassment or retaliation.”
He continued, “The investigation of a complaint is never the work of one individual. That is precisely to (ensure) that complaints are handled in an equitable manner for all individuals involved. Unfortunately, there is usually someone unhappy with the way a complaint has been resolved.”
“We continue to retain confidence in the individuals involved in the complaint process in the Shawnee Mission School District.”
But many told The Star they don’t have faith in the district’s complaint process. Many said that a complete overhaul is necessary. They worry that teachers and students will continue to fear coming forward, complaints will continue to be ignored and the district will continue shuffling administration.
“Threatening teachers that come forward is not going to make teachers continue to come forward,” one employee said. “I would never report anything to human resources again because all it does is put a target on my own back. I can do more staying at the school to protect the kids than I can if human resources fired me and I can’t work there anymore.”
This story was originally published June 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
