A high-ranking John Bapst Memorial High School employee is the subject of an independent investigation, the chairman of the school’s board of trustees said Friday.
Director of Public Relations Angela Kearns and Head of School Dave Armistead “stepped away” from their roles Tuesday, the school announced in a message to parents that day with no additional information.
Kearns is on administrative leave and cannot be on school property or attend school sponsored events during the investigation, the school’s board of trustees said in an undated email obtained by the Bangor Daily News. The email was sent by the board’s Chairman Daniel LaMontagne and Vice Chairwoman Megan Sanders and was verified Friday by board spokesperson Dan Cashman.
The email provides the first insight into the reason for the sudden administrative change at the Bangor-based high school. As a semi-private high school, it is not fully subject to the Freedom of Access Act, which limits what records the public can request.
The email from LaMontagne and Sanders was sent in reply to a message signed by a group that calls itself John Bapst Accountability. That group sent letters to the trustees outlining “serious allegations” against Kearns, “as well as action (and inaction) by Dave Armistead that did not address her conduct and instead allowed it to persist,” according to the email from LaMontagne and Sanders.
Members of the group are not named in the email. The group declined to comment via an email Friday.
The board declined to comment on specific personnel matters or ongoing investigations, LaMontagne said. The situation is being taken seriously and with care and thoughtfulness, while focusing on students, he said.
Kearns was placed on leave following the accusations from the group, LaMontagne said in the email. Armistead is “unavailable going forward pending the results of the investigation,” according to the email.
After the initial allegations were raised against Kearns, Armistead started investigating some of the concerns, but he did not have an appropriate plan or support from the board, the email said. It also mentioned “additional concerns about psychological and personal safety,” following Armistead’s investigation.
In response, the board offered to add safety measures, such as onsite security or surveillance, on the campus.
