In the Dotte dispatch: KCKPS cop claims firing was part of cover-up
Editor’s note: The following is from this week’s In the Dotte newsletter. You can sign up here to get them delivered to your inbox.
Good morning, Wyandotte County!
Regularly scheduled classes may be on hiatus for summer, but that doesn’t mean the local public school system is catching a break.
And the latest allegations against Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools could shake up who’s in charge of overseeing student safety in the year ahead.
I’m Sofi Zeman, your guide through all things KCK. Let’s get to it.
Last week, the deputy chief of the KCKPS Police Department told media outside a hearing to discuss his potential termination that he thinks the school district is wrongfully trying to fire him so it can cover up an investigation into another officer and other crimes committed within the school district.
Syler Colaço, a nearly 12-year member of the school police department, is speaking out and says he plans to pursue further legal action against KCKPS, he told The Star. He said he believes he’s being fired for investigating an officer within his department.
He also said he’s witnessed numerous crimes by district staff against students that KCKPS never reported to the state as required.
See inside changes within the police department and what the school district said in response to the allegations in my recent story.
Enjoying this newsletter? Share it with a friend. If it was forwarded to you, sign up here.
And, if you have questions about Wyandotte County or a tip about what else I should look into, please email me at szeman@kcstar.com.
Development in the Dotte
🚧 It’s been more than a year since a team of local developers said they’d revitalize the site of an old KCK shopping mall. Local officials have concerns over whether that replacement will ever come.
💾 The data center wave is hitting the metro, and KCK is no exception to the trend. See where big tech could set up shop right here in Wyandotte County.
Sofi’s selects
🗳️ A former KCK political candidate is now seeking a state-level office, even as she faces an ongoing criminal case for shooting her contractor.
⚖️ As Kansans waits for a ruling that could reshape their access to reproductive health care, the judge presiding over that trial has been named as a Kansas Supreme Court finalist.
Thank you for reading. See ya back here next week!
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