Bishop Miege appoints new president to replace leader ousted amid misconduct claims
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- Bishop Miege names Mike Riley president after national search and background checks.
- Riley replaces Phil Baniewicz, who was fired last August amid an investigation.
- New president will oversee finance, development, governance and external relations.
Bishop Miege Catholic High School has appointed a new president to replace its previous leader, who was ousted last year amid an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor.
Mike Riley, a longtime educator and area resident for more than two decades, will lead the Roeland Park school, Archbishop Shawn McKnight and the Board of Trustees announced Tuesday. His tenure begins July 1.
The appointment, which followed the board’s unanimous recommendation, came after a national search, according to the announcement on the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas’ website.
“In recommending Mr. Riley, the Board of Trustees recognized in him a servant leader committed to fostering a school community where students are supported and formed in faith,” McKnight said.
“As president, Mr. Riley bears primary responsibility for preserving and strengthening Bishop Miege’s Catholic identity and values, while serving as a prudent steward of its resources. I offer him my prayerful support and extend prayers and best wishes to the entire Bishop Miege community as it moves forward in its mission of forming young men and women in faith, friendship, and purpose.”
Riley will replace Phil Baniewicz, who was fired last August. His dismissal came two months after the board placed Baniewicz on leave while an investigation got underway into reports regarding his ability to manage a safe school environment.
“After careful consideration of the present circumstances, the board determined it is in the best interest of the BMHS community to move forward toward new leadership,” the board said in an Aug. 6 statement posted on the archdiocese’s website.
“Because this is a confidential personnel matter, no further information will be provided. The process of selecting a new president will begin soon … ”
The investigation into Baniewicz’s actions is still underway, an archdiocesan spokesperson said Wednesday.
Riley has worked in both the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. He first taught social studies at Bishop Miege two decades ago, the archdiocese said. He and his family are parishioners at Cure of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood. That parish has been grappling with the resignation last September of its priest, the Rev. Richard Storey.
Parishioners were stunned when the archdiocese announced that Storey had resigned amid a criminal investigation by Prairie Village police. The case remains ongoing.
As Bishop Miege president, Riley’s duties will include “leadership of the school organization, strategic planning and governance, collaborating with diocesan leadership to preserve the school’s mission and identity, fundraising and development, financial and business management, and external relations,” the archdiocese said.
Riley has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, earned a master’s degree in education, secondary education and teaching from Notre Dame in 2003 and a master of arts in school leadership from Benedictine College in 2012, the archdiocese said. His current participation in the ACE Principal Academy Cabrini Fellowship at Notre Dame concludes this summer.
“When we launched the search for our new president, our commitment was to find a leader who would strengthen our school community and guide us into the future,” said Holly Bentley, chair of the Bishop Miege Catholic High School Board of Trustees. “Mr. Riley not only embodies the mission and vision of our school community, but is dedicated to creating opportunities for students to thrive both academically and spiritually.”
Catholic Recruiter Associates led a search process that involved contacting hundreds of candidates and interviews with dozens of applicants, according to the archdiocese. The board also hired Sutton Associates to conduct background checks and vet the applicants’ references.
Bridget Morris, a Bishop Miege alumna and vice chair of the Board of Trustees, called Riley “a transformational leader who is ready to collaborate with leadership and benefactors to continue and grow the Miege tradition of success.”
“As a school parent and board member, I’m honored to have been part of this search process and look forward to welcoming Mike back to the Miege community,” she said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
