Top Leaders Of Reservation School Fired After Investigation
The members of the St. Stephens Indian School school board and school administrators have been fired following a Bureau of Indian Education Administrative Investigation that found evidence of sexual misconduct, drug use, bullying, and other issues at the school.
The school is located on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.
The following is one excerpt of the report involving Superintendent Frank No Runner:
''Throughout the investigation, multiple witnesses testified they had heard rumors of No Runner soliciting underage girls for nude photographs and sex."
The report also mentions allegations of a female student dancing topless at a party at No Runner's home in which alcohol was being served.
The report includes numerous other allegations specifically involving No Runner and says investigators reached the following conclusion:
– "Frank No Runner is engaging or has engaged in misconduct of a sexual nature that is unbecoming of a St. Stephens Indian School superintendent, and his actions may have harmed Indian children. In some instances, his behavior is considered sexual harassment."
Other allegations against No Runner in the report include that he bullied school employees, particularly women. In one instance, he allegedly yelled at and threatened the job of an employee who was asking to be paid for doing extra work.
He is also accused in the report of lying to the school board in termination hearings for district employees.
On the bullying allegations, the report concludes:
Frank No Runner is engaging or has engaged in conduct that is considered as bullying type behavior toward parents, staff, and former staff of St. Stephens Indian School. As previously stated in the analysis, bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals and often involves an abuse or misuse of power. Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments that could psychologically or 'mentally' hurt or isolate a person in the workplace. Mr. No Runner's behavior is consistent with the definition, either by his own acts or by allowing inappropriate acts of others to continue.
The report also alleges that No Runner created a toxic work environment, smoked marijuana on school grounds, and got his wife assigned to the position of Food Services Director. Elementary School Principal Greg Juneau is also accused in the report of smoking pot on school property, and it says the school board awarded Juneau and others stipends of several thousand dollars to which they should not have been entitled.
The report includes numerous other allegations involving such things as allowing district employees to continue working even after their state certification had expired, not holding No Runners children to school attendance rules that were enforced on other students, and many other charges.
The investigation was conducted after tribal officials asked for it in response to rumors of problems at the school.
Following the report, the Wind River Inter-Tribal Council fired No Runner, Juneau, and other St. Stephens administrators, as well as the school board.