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Police were on scene when Tonganoxie principal left campus; sheriff’s office conducting investigation

By Shawn Linenberger - | Feb 17, 2015

Former Tonganoxie High School principal Jamie Carlisle, left, and current assistant THS assistant principal Brent Smith speak at a community event a few years ago. Carlisle was terminated earlier this month. Smith served as interim principal in 2007 when then-THS principal Tatia Shelton resigned. Superintendent Lyn Rantz moved Tonganoxie Middle School principal Mark Farrar over to THS to become interim principal, while Smith remains assistant principal. TMS assistant principal Mark Altman is interim principal at that school through the end of the academic year.

Editor’s Note:Subsequent to the publication of this article, the following developments occurred:1. No charges were filed in connection with Jamie Carlisle’s employment with the Tonganoxie School District; 2. Carlisle disputed all allegations against him in a formal hearing with the district.

Tonganoxie police were at Tonganoxie High School to assist with former principal Jamie Carlisle’s departure.

Chief Jeff Brandau said that oftentimes it is standard protocol for government agencies to have law enforcement present in such cases. Brandau referred to it as “civil standby,” something some officers also do for private businesses when off duty.

Brandau said two officers were there about 8 p.m. Feb. 5. No school activities were happening when Carlisle left the building, Brandau said.

“Nothing happened when the kids were there,” Brandau said. “They (the officers) were there waiting for him to pack his office up and leave.”

Carlisle left the school without any incidents, Brandau said.

Asked at the Feb. 9 school board meeting about Carlisle no longer being a USD 464 employee, Superintendent Lyn Rantz declined to answer questions about Carlisle. She said she couldn’t comment on personnel issues.

Asked whether the sheriff’s office intervened in Carlisle’s departure, Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley said his department has made no arrests.

Sherley did say the sheriff’s office is conducting an investigation within the school district at Rantz’s request, but declined to divulge to whom or what the case pertained.

Rantz declined to discuss the investigation but said district staff and administration were cooperating as the investigation continues.

“It does not involve the well-being of students,” Rantz said. “We are aware of an investigation and are cooperating fully. No well-being or safety issues are involved.”

Sherley said the investigation is ongoing and could be lengthy. He had no timeline for when the investigation might conclude.

Carlisle originally submitted his resignation in December, and planned to finish out his contract, which expired at the end of June.

Carlisle’s resignation was an update from the board packet for the Dec. 9 board meeting, which was sent out the previous week by Carlisle’s wife, Val, the district office’s secretary.

In that packet, his name was among the six building administrators the board was set to vote on for the 2015-16 school year and not among the list of hirings and resignations for the board to vote on at that meeting.

In an email to The Mirror in December, Carlisle wrote:

“It is with careful consideration that I respectfully submitted my letter of resignation, effective at the end of 2014-15, as the Tonganoxie High School Principal. I will continue to faithfully serve the duties of Tonganoxie’s principal through the end of the 2014-15 school year, completing the requirements and expectations of my current contract.”

Tonganoxie Middle School principal Mark Farrar moved to the high school last week to serve as interim principal. THS assistant principal Brent Smith will continue to serve in his current role. His office is in the school’s west campus building, while Farrar’s is in the east campus.

TMS assistant principal Mark Altman will assume duties as interim principal at that school, which means TMS will have one administrator the rest of the school year. The middle school campus has one building.

The district appointed Smith as interim principal at THS in 2007 when then-THS principal Tatia Shelton and then-TMS assistant principal Darren Neas resigned in March of that year.