Independence school employee under federal criminal investigation, put on leave
Another employee of the Independence School District is under criminal investigation, the third this calendar year.
The school district confirmed Wednesday that an employee is part of an active criminal investigation and has been placed on administrative leave per district policy.
The district declined to release the employee’s name or to speak further on the situation. In a statement provided to The Star, ISD spokesperson Megan Dillard said that the district does not have any evidence “linking any ISD students to the allegations.”
“We sent communication to any families possibly associated with this employee, and we always have support available for any student or staff member in need,” Dillard wrote Wednesday.
The Independence Police Department also declined to comment on the situation but said that the investigation was taking place on the federal level. A spokesperson referred all media inquiries to the Kansas City office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which was not immediately available for comment.
The investigation marks the third set of criminal allegations leveled against Independence School District employees this year. In March, Austin Meyer, then a drama teacher at Truman High School was arrested and charged with 11 counts of possessing child pornography after more than 11 gigabytes of child sexual abuse material were found on his work computer.
Meyer, who started working at Truman in 2022, pleaded not guilty to all charges. A Jackson County judge ordered warrants for both Meyer’s laptop and a flash drive in late May, and a jury trial has been scheduled for September 22, according to court records.
In May, ISD bus driver Christopher Omenski was also arrested on charges related to child sex crimes. Omenski, who lives in Oak Grove, was detained during a traffic stop and charged with six felonies, including statutory rape, statutory sodomy and possession of child pornography.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM.
