Smithville High School principal to student: ‘There is nothing I don’t love about you’

Our public schools need more faculty members who are willing to go the extra mile for students, whether it’s lending an ear in a time of need or spending a few minutes after class to go over the day’s lesson. Hell, when the situation calls for it, sometimes an educator should even add a student to his personal cell-phone plan or vehicle insurance plan, or supply a student with prescription medication, or even purchase a car for a student. 

Oh, wait, are there rules against those last ones? Yes? Very explicit rules that are in place for very good reasons? Well, shoot. Now that you mention it, those do seem like extremely inappropriate things for a faculty member to do for a student.

But what about sending a casual text to a favorite student — just a quick “There is nothing about you that I don’t love”? Or queueing up a sexually charged YouTube clip? Next you’re gonna say a high-school principal shouldn’t be pulling his favorite students out of class for extended periods of time on a regular basis for unexplained reasons. 

According to the Smithville School District, which has put him on administrative leave and is currently investigating him, Smithville High School principal Rudy Papenfuhs did all those things. If you can believe it, the man pictured above, whose nickname is “Pappy,” stands accused of having improper relationships with several students. 

Here’s the rundown of the charges released by the district yesterday. 

On or about September 4th, 2014, Dr. Papenfuhs provided a male student of the District with an unknown pill, between the junior varsity and varsity volleyball games.

On or about September 12th, 2014, Dr. Papenfuhs provided a male student of the District with prescription medication, prescribed to Dr. Papenfuhs. The student had the medication in his possession during the school day.

Dr. Papenfuhs frequently pulls certain students out of classes for an extended period of time on a regular basis for unexplained reasons.

It has been reported to the District by a parent of a student that Dr. Papenfuhs showed a sexually explicit YouTube video to a student.

Dr. Papenfuhs added a current student of the District to his cell phone plan.

Dr. Papenfuhs purchased a vehicle for a current student of the District.

Dr. Papenfuhs added a student of the District to his policy of vehicle insurance.

Dr. Papenfuhs purchased a hockey jersey and gave the jersey to a student of the District as a gift.

Dr. Papenfuhs has used material gifts and privileges he has bestowed upon students as leverage for encouraging certain behavior by the students.

Dr. Papenfuhs attended a pre-season Kansas City Chiefs game, a nonwork setting,with a current student of the District during the 2014-15 school year. No parent or guardian of the student was present at that event.

Dr. Papenfuhs attended a Royals game with a student of the District. No parent or guardian of the student was present at that event.

On multiple occasions, Dr. Papenfuhs has driven students in his personal vehicle, including driving students to the gym and to medical appointments. No parent or guardian was present in the vehicle on these occasions.

On at least one occasion, Dr. Papenfuhs has sent a student of the District on a personal errand and allowed the student to drive Dr. Papenfuhs’s personal vehicle.

Dr. Papenfuhs engaged in a text message conversation with a student of the District in which he told the student “There is nothing I don’t love about you…”

During the school day and in the presence of staff members, Dr. Papenfuhs made a comment to a disabled student who had his hands in his pocket and implied that the student was touching himself through his pockets.

These instances exemplify not only Dr. Papenfuhs’s persistent violations of Board Policies with respect to staff conduct and staff-student relations, but also exemplify his willful and persistent violations of Board Policy GBCB which requires him to follow directions given by administrators.

On or about September 16th, 2013, Dr. Papenfuhs’s was issued a written reprimand for telling an inappropriate and sexually explicit joke to 6 male students of the District during lunch period, a violation of both Board Policy GBCB and Board Policy GBH. That memo required him to maintain appropriate relationships with students in the future and was a direction given to him by Superintendent, Dr. Todd Schuetz. Dr. Papenfuhs’s conduct described herein exemplifies numerous failuresto follow the direction given by Dr. Schuetz on September 16th, 2013, constituting willful and persistent violations of Board Policy GBCB. 

Several Smithville High students believe Mr. Pappy is getting a raw deal and have started a petition asking the district to reconsider the charges. You can also support Mr. Pap-Pap at the hashtag #freepappy.