Decision to fire Shakopee principal leaves uncertainties

In 21 years as principal, Jim Murphy has steered Shakopee High School through changes that might have been too much for another leader: Construction of a new building. A student body that has more than doubled in size. A big rise in student poverty and diversity.

Now, he's in a storm he may not weather.

Shakopee teachers and parents awoke to uncertainty and finger-pointing in the community on Tuesday after school board members voted Monday night to fire their longtime principal. Their reasons are unclear, but the board had met in closed session to discuss allegations against Murphy related to the alleged theft of more than $168,000 in school funds by his former assistant.

Deanna Stanius was charged with six counts of felony theft by swindle in May, a few weeks after she resigned.

Firing Murphy "seems like an extreme measure, from my limited knowledge," said Judi Tomczik, a Shakopee High teacher who added she wasn't privy to the closed meetings in which the board got legal advice and reached its decision.

"I don't know what was in the lawyer's report," Tomczik said. "My concern is for the various initiatives that the high school is planning for this fall. They're making some really important strides ... and to lose Jim's leadership at this time I think would be unfortunate."

Those initiatives range from efforts to improve students' reading skills to fundraising for construction of a stand-alone science lab next to the school, she said.

The board's resolution, which proposes that Murphy be immediately discharged, passed 5-2, with members Mary Romansky and Kathy Busch dissenting.

On newspaper websites, reactions posted by readers were swift and varied: Some supported the board, while others decried the vote and sang Murphy's praises. Some demanded consequences for other district leaders -- from administrators to the board -- who are dealing with the fallout from the alleged thefts, which took place over three years.

The principal has the right to challenge the move at a hearing before an arbitrator, and his attorney said Tuesday that he plans to do so. For now, he's on paid leave.

The district has not yet appointed an interim principal, Superintendent Jon McBroom said Wednesday.

School board members said the law prevents them from explaining why they voted to fire the principal while the disciplinary process unfolds. But McBroom and board chairman Chuck Berg say Murphy has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

The principal's attorney said Tuesday morning that he had not yet seen the allegations, but that Murphy planned to pick up a document outlining the board's grounds for firing him.

"We think our guy's being scapegoated," said Roger Aronson, who is representing Murphy as an attorney for the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. The principal might take the unusual step of opening his disciplinary hearing to the public, Aronson said.

Reached by phone later on Tuesday, Murphy declined to talk about the allegations, citing advice from his attorney. Aronson could not be reached for further comment.

A long career

Murphy came to Shakopee from Winterset, Iowa, in 1989.

The district has seen rapid growth in recent years, including a surge of immigrant families that speak dozens of languages, and Murphy said he's worked hard to respond to those changes. He also led the school through the transition to a new building that opened in 2007.

McBroom also credited him with expanding Shakopee High's list of course offerings through College in the Schools, a program through which nearly half the high school's students earn college credit by the time they graduate.

Murphy "is one of the kindest, most generous people I know," Tomczik said. "When various employees have had personal issues, he didn't just approach it from a boss' point of view. He approached it from a human point of view."

Murphy's personnel file shows no previous disciplinary action, McBroom said.

It's unclear to what extent district leaders other than Murphy have come under scrutiny as the district has investigated how the alleged thefts went undetected for so long.

Shakopee police are still investigating the alleged thefts, but they're waiting on an audit of the student activity fund that the district hired an accounting firm to complete, said Sgt. John Buetow. Police have no evidence that anyone besides Stanius was involved, he said.

Stanius allegedly forged and cashed checks from the school's student activity account, and also used a school-issued credit card to advance herself more than $8,000 in cash at Mystic Lake Casino.

By the time school starts this fall, the district will make changes to its accounting practices to help prevent thefts, McBroom said. Those changes may include requiring someone at the district office to sign checks drawn from the student activity account.

The district's insurance probably won't cover all of the loss, he said, although the claim is still being reviewed. The district will also seek restitution, he said.

"We're going to do everything we can to minimize the impact on any of our student activities because of this situation," he said, but "I'm not going to promise that there won't be any implications, because I can't tell you yet."

Sarah Lemagie • 952-882-9016