The Missouri State Board of Education took no action to discipline the license to teach of former Smithville High School principal Dr. Rudy Papenfuhs.
In a recent meeting the board reviewed the investigation conducted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and followed the recommendations that the board take no action against Papenfuhs’ teaching certificate.
The investigation summary said on Sept. 24, 2014 Todd Schuetz, Superintendent of Smithville Schools, issued a statement of charges against Papenfuhs alleging that Papenfuhs willfully and persistently violated the Board policies on staff conduct and staff-student relations and presented a list of incidents in support of the allegations.
The findings state that Papenfuhs admits he violated the technical terms of the Board policies, but believes that the actions he took were justified at the time and appropriate as a part of his philosophy to be “student centered” and serve the whole child.
As we previously reported, the statement of charges against Papenfuhs said Papenfuhs provided unknown medications to a male student on several occasions, added a student to his vehicle insurance policy, purchased gifts including a hockey jersey and football tickets for a student and engaged in a text message conversation with a student in which he told a student “There is nothing I don’t love about you…”
“This whole scenario, this whole last year, has been very unfortunate for a lot of different people. Not the least of all myself and my wife and my family. I dedicated my profession to helping students. I dedicated my life as an educator to do whatever I needed to do within the power and the boundaries of my ability to help kids be successful. I asked nothing in return. I asked only that these students go on and make me proud and see what they could do to help others,” Papenfuhs said during the August hearing according to the documents.
On Oct. 16 Papenfuhs and the Smithville School District entered into a Separation Agreement and Release, which states that the agreement is not an inference, admission, concession of any liability or wrongdoing by either party and Papenfuhs resigned.
CLICK HERE to read case HR 15-017.