TECUMSEH, Mich. — Editor's Note: The attached video is from an earlier development in the story that aired on May 27, 2022.
Former Tecumseh High School principal Dennis Niles has been reassigned to a different position after an internal investigation of his conduct.
Tecumseh Public Schools Superintendent Rick Hilderley learned of an allegation made against Niles on Friday, May 27, and took action following TPS policy, according to a news release from the district.
Niles was on paid, non-disciplinary leave pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
The allegation was turned over to the Tecumseh Police Department for review, which determined Niles had not committed any criminal offense and would no longer be involved with the investigation.
After an internal investigation, TPS' human resources department and district law firm determined Niles' behavior had been unprofessional. Per TPS, he has faced the appropriate disciplinary action.
Superintendent Hilderley said, "Although it was determined Mr. Niles did not break any laws, his conduct did not meet my expectations or the district’s standards for professionalism."
As a result, Niles will undergo training in appropriate professional conduct.
Niles was reassigned to the position of Director of Operations at TPS, where he will oversee the maintenance, custodial and technology departments, in addition to the operations of the Tecumseh Community Pool.
Niles was appointed THS principal in Nov. 2020. He formerly served as assistant principal from 2002 to 2012, and was reported to have left on good terms.
Hilderley served as acting principal for THS for the duration of the investigation. THS continues to conduct its search for a replacement principal.
In a press release on Monday at 9 p.m.. the school district said it "can not comment on the allegations because it would violate state and federal privacy laws."
Hilderley and the TPS Board of Education gave the following statement, read at the Board of Education meeting on Monday:
“First and foremost, on behalf of the Board and the District, I wish to personally thank all of the individuals who came forward with concerns about our former high school principal. It is not easy to raise such concerns, especially against a high-level administrator. We appreciate and admire your courage in doing so.
I would also like to thank the District’s Human Resource team that investigated these matters promptly and thoroughly. They did a very good job of assuring the process was objective so that the District’s Superintendent could make an informed decision.
The District cannot comment on the specifics of student allegations as doing so could violate state and federal student privacy laws. However, we can inform you that the Human Resource team thoroughly investigated the allegations against Mr. Niles, including interviews with twenty witnesses and Mr. Niles himself. The results of this investigation were reviewed by both Mr. Hilderley and the District’s Legal Counsel and it was determined that the legal standards for discipline did not support termination and the assigned discipline matched the level of the allegations that could be proven by a preponderance of the evidence (51% to 49%).
The Board of Education considers transparency, exceptional instruction and professionalism as essential pillars of our District. We do not tolerate hidden decision making–that’s why we have been very public about the allegations from the beginning. We also do not tolerate unprofessional behavior on any level and that is why Mr. Hilderely imposed discipline and corrective training to the former high school principal. Lastly, we will not tolerate behavior that compromises student safety, and would not tolerate further employment of any district administrator, including Mr. Niles, if we believed student safety was compromised in any way. If in the future any student believes they have been subject to inappropriate behavior we encourage them to contact an appropriate administrator, the Superintendent and the local police department.”
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