PEORIA, AZ — The Peoria Unified School District promoted Centennial High School’s former athletic director and assistant principal Thursday night while the school sits at the center of police investigations involving former teachers.
After back-and-forth among board members, Darien Schoolcraft was named principal of the high school in a 3-2 vote.
Schoolcraft has served as the assistant principal and athletic director at Centennial for the past two years
“I stand here tonight excited to continue helping students dream and achieve,” Schoolcraft said.
The high school has been under the spotlight after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct involving two former teachers in separate incidents with the same student at the school.
Last week, police served a search warrant at district offices related to the misconduct investigations.
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As the board discussed the future leadership of Centennial High School, board members Heather Rooks and Janelle Bowles expressed concerns over the permanent appointment of a principal amid the current investigation.
“I believe it is our responsibility to protect students, follow a process and ensure that every individual connected to these matters have been appropriately reviewed,” Board member Heather Rooks said.
Other members spoke up in support of his appointment, alongside public comments in support by parents and teachers in the community.
"We cannot allow the alleged actions of two people to impact and rip apart our community,” Board clerk Becky Proudfit said.
Also, on Thursday, the district sent out a letter outlining their policies, trainings and reporting procedures to address sexual misconduct allegations.
The district's letter is in response to a national Dear Colleague letter sent to all school districts across the country this month by U.S. Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon, reiterating the requirements of schools to respond to predatory behavior.
“Going forward, our goal is to make sure this work is more visible for our families, not just responding when something happens,” Interim Superintendent Tahlya Visintainer said.
For the first time since the police search warrant, the public was able to comment on the investigation in a board meeting.
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