Correction: Phil Baniewicz is president of Bishop Miege. An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to him as principal.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas says Bishop Miege’s president, Phil Baniewicz, has been “restricted from all active ministry” in the archdiocese.
On Tuesday, the archdiocese made its announcement, saying the move to restrict Baniewicz’s activity was “due to an allegation of inappropriate behavior with a minor.”
The announcement comes nearly two weeks after Baniewicz was put on administrative leave from his leadership of Bishop Miege, a private Catholic high school in Roeland Park.
The decision to put Baniewicz on leave, effective June 5, followed “reports concerning his ability to oversee a safe environment for BMHS,” according to a diocesan statement at the time.
The diocese’s announcement Tuesday made clear the allegation of inappropriate behavior with a minor was “based on previously unknown information” that was provided to the diocese after Baniewicz’s suspension and “had not been released in public media.”
Information regarding the inappropriate behavior has been reported to civil authorities, the diocese said.
Baniewicz barred from youth ministry, volunteering and more
The move to restrict Baniewicz’s activities in the archdiocese is “in the interest of promoting the common good, protecting the vulnerable, and pursuing the truth of the matters being investigated,” Archbishop Shawn McKnight is quoted in the diocese’s statement.
According to the archdiocese, Baniewicz is barred from doing any youth ministry or volunteering at any church school or institution. That includes work at Life Teen, a Catholic youth ministry Baniewicz cofounded in the 1980s.
He’s also prohibited from representing the church in any official capacity.
“In addition, Mr. Baniewicz has signed an archdiocesan safety plan which states he agrees not to contact anyone known to have made an accusation of abuse or misconduct against him, or who may be a witness known to him,” the archdiocese said.
The prohibitions on Baniewicz’s ministry will last “for the duration of the ongoing preliminary investigation and through any subsequent process conducted in the Church’s judicial system,” the archdiocese said.
“These precautionary measures are no indication of guilt or wrongdoing,” the statement continues. “The archdiocese will provide no further information regarding the investigation until it is concluded.”
Baniewicz appointed under cloud in 2023
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. Prior to that, he 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 a 14-year-old Life Teen participant. 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.”
