Phil Baniewicz, the president of Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, has been put on administrative leave effective June 5.
In a statement released on Friday, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas confirmed that the private Catholic school’s board had voted to place Baniewicz on leave “[d]ue to recent reports concerning his ability to oversee a safe environment for BMHS.”
The archdiocese added a “thorough investigation has been initiated.”
“As this is a confidential personnel matter, no further information will be provided until the investigation is concluded,” the statement added.
Associate principal and athletic director Joe Schramp has been appointed interim president.
A spokesperson for Bishop Miege referred the Post to the archdiocese when asked for comment.
New archbishop makes statement
Archbishop Shawn McKnight is quoted in the archdiocese’s statement:
“Our commitment is to make our schools and parishes places where every child feels safe, supported, and valued. This necessitates not only immediate action when concerns arise but also a continuous evaluation of our policies to ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent harm. Through our efforts of accountability and transparency, we aim to foster trust and to respect the dignity of every person.”
McKnight was installed last month as the archdiocese’s new leader — one of the last appointments made by Pope Francis before his death — succeeding Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who had led the archdiocese in the Kansas City area since 2005.
McKnight also encouraged anyone to reach out regarding Baniewicz.
“In keeping with our protocols, our Office for Protection and Care is prepared and eager to listen to you, using a trauma-informed approach. Please call or text our hotline number at 913-276-8703 or visit archkck.org/reportabuse,” he said.
“I ask you to join me in prayers for all involved in this situation: our students, their families, Mr. Baniewicz, our school community and our archdiocesan community.
Baniewicz was appointed under a cloud in 2023
The archdiocese did not give any more detail as to what prompted Bishop Miege’s board to put Baniewicz on leave.
In March, KSHB reported that a parent had reported Baniewicz to the archdiocese’s Office for Protection and Care last year after her daughter said she had an interaction with Baniewicz that made her uncomfortable.
Baniewicz was appointed president at Bishop Miege in the summer of 2023. Before that, he served nearly 15 years as president of Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before that, he’d served as an administrator at Benedictine College in Atchison.
In 2005, Baniewicz was named in a civil sexual abuse lawsuit in Arizona, along with two priests. In the suit, a man stated he was abused by the three men in 1985 when he was 14. The case was settled out of court for $100,000.
The other two men named in that suit were later charged with crimes against minors for other incidents.
In a letter to families around the time of his hiring, Baniewicz said that he had previously faced “false allegations” and had to “endure persecution.”
Responding to calls after Baniewicz’s appointment, the school said it conducted an in-depth vetting process for Baniewicz’s hiring, including a criminal background check and interviews with work and personal references.
After he was appointed in 2023, an online petition began urging Bishop Miege to dismiss Baniewicz. It has since gained nearly 900 signatures.
“It is deeply concerning that Bishop Miege would choose to employ someone with such serious allegations surrounding them,” the petition said.
“The cost of abuse is immeasurable; it leaves scars that last a lifetime. We cannot allow our children’s safety to be compromised by those entrusted with their care. It’s time for our community to demand better protection for our children.”
