🚨 Urgent Call for Change at Tucson High School Over Intimidation from Asst. Principal
Staff voices concern over threatening behavior and need for decisive leadership amid unsettling incidents involving Assistant Principal Rothkoft.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
At Tucson High School, some teachers are really worried because their assistant principal, Mr. Rothkoft, has been acting mean and scary 😨 towards them and the students. The principal, Ms. Comstock, said she couldn't help much 😔, which made everyone feel even worse. The teachers want to find someone else to be the principal who can make things better and safer for everyone 🛡️. They are asking for big changes 🔄 to help fix things and make their school a happy place again 🌈.
🗝️ Takeaways
⚠️ Hostile Environment: Assistant Principal Steven Rothkoft exhibited threatening behavior, creating fear among staff and students.
🛑 Lack of Leadership: Interim Principal Catherine Comstock failed to take decisive action when urgent issues arose, eroding trust in her capabilities.
👩🏫 Call for Replacement: Staff members advocate for Comstock's replacement by qualified administrators who can navigate challenging situations.
🔍 Need for Investigation: Calls for an investigation into Rothkoft's conduct and the handling of previous harassment complaints highlight serious accountability issues.
⚖️ Demand for Appropriate Action: Community members insist on immediate administrative responses to behavioral concerns to ensure safety and respect in the school.
Note: The following email was sent to the TUSD board and cc'd to Three Sonorans. Three Sonorans is not responsible for the content of the message, but it is now officially part of the public record and presented as such.
TUSD Governing Board Members:
This letter is part two of what continues to be an extremely alarming and upsetting situation at Tucson High Magnet School as more and more facts become exposed about the threatening Glock/firearm-related situation that took place on November 20, 2024, involving Assistant Principal Steven Rothkoft and the repercussions that followed. (Our first letter is provided below this one for those who did not receive it earlier.)
On June 11, 2024, the Governing Board appointed Catherine Comstock as the "Interim" Principal at Tucson High Magnet School- for the entire 2024-25 school year.
We are sure that at the time of the unanimous vote, it was understood by each member of the Board that Comstock would serve in the FULL capacity as the school's administrative leader without any constraints on her ability to make decisions, especially in matters of urgency requiring immediate attention and decisive administrative action.
It seems that such thinking was wrong.
As the Board was informed in our last letter, when Rothkoft returned to work after a two-day absence (assumed to have been a disciplinary suspension) on November 26, 2024, he exemplified extremely unprofessional, hostile, and intimidating behavior toward students and clerical employees (all women) in the work area.
Rothkoft's conduct caused fear, intimidation, and great concern in the area. One of the staff members made an urgent request via two-way radio (many staff members hear the communications) for an administrator to go to the area immediately. A specific request was also made for Comstock to go to the area urgently. Assistant Principal Bob Thompson did show up but indicated that he did not see a problem and that the Principal's involvement was needed, not his.
Comstock showed up several minutes later and failed to take any action. She told the staff members in the area, 'I am not going to make any decisions- I am just the Interim Principal here.' She continued to address the women (all Latinx) as she scolded them in a derogatory manner and stated, "Don't tell me how to run my school!"
Her statements were remarkably contradictory.
Since that day, the staff in the area continue to feel fearful of Rothkoft and use obvious tactics to avoid or "workaround" their immediate supervisor. They leave their office area when he is near and continue their work as best as possible within close range.
The aggressive, threatening behavior Rothkoft displayed continues to poison the environment. He has offered NO apology for his conduct. It appears that he was and remains uncontrollably angry at the staff because he believes one or more of them are responsible for reporting the document found in the printer, which was subsequently found to have been printed by Rothkoft.
When a person shows such erratic, hostile behavior, most understand that the behavior may erupt again without warning. The situation is untenable and is being totally ignored by Interim Principal Comstock because, as she has asserted, she is just the Interim Principal, powerless to take appropriate administrative action at what happens to be the largest high school in Tucson.
How Comstock has dealt with the situation and her lackadaisical approach to an urgent call for assistance is deeply troubling. It demonstrates her lack of judgment and inability to deal with a volatile situation. It has dramatically eroded any confidence in her. It is not clear that she would have reacted with such inappropriate indifference if the staff members had been professional faculty members or if the clerical staff was comprised of white individuals.
We learned that a harassment complaint by one of the female staff involved in the current situation was made against Rothkoft earlier in the year, which brings us to question why such a complaint has not been dealt with in a timely and proper manner.
Is the Tucson High School faculty, staff, student body, parents, and community to understand that administrators designated as "interim" are appointed to do nothing more than hold a position in place without executing all of the duties and responsibilities of the position?
No! TUSD currently has a few interim school administrators in place, and from what we understand, each is carrying out their duties and responsibilities without limitations, as in the case of what was declared by Comstock.
For this reason, we must convey our lack of confidence in the current administration and strongly recommend that Comstock immediately be replaced by an individual with a successful work record in administering a large high school, an individual who understands that their interim status will not restrict them from doing the work of a high school principal. We strongly suggest Abel Morado or Sam Giangardella- both are former TUSD high school administrators who have retired.
We also ask that a national search be immediately initiated for hiring a THMS principal so that the selected individual may begin working at the end of the current school year (May 2025). We do not understand why the largest high school in Tucson- a magnet school- has been left without a permanently appointed principal for the entire year.
When Elizabeth Rivera resigned in May of 2024, an immediate search should have been initiated, or an administrator with experience overseeing a large high school such as THMS should have been appointed interim on a short-term basis while a search for her replacement took place.
We are inclined to believe that Comstock was put in place based on her long-term loyalty to Gabriel Trujillo since she, under his direction, would attempt to keep quiet the tremendous mistake made by Elizabeth Rivera in NOT recruiting non-neighborhood students to the school, as well as many other failings.
The Governing Board should investigate this matter and the budget cuts made in desegregation-funded areas. The investigation needs to be conducted by someone outside of Trujillo's clutch since he took part in what appears to be a cover-up, which includes him in the investigation.
Additionally, appropriate administrative action must be taken immediately regarding Steven Rothkoft's inappropriate conduct relative to the document which mentioned the possession of a weapon- a Glock and which was found to be copied by him during work time, on TUSD property, using TUSD equipment. Several violations took place in his actions.
Such administrative action must also address his inappropriate behavior toward students and clerical staff. Rothkoft has assumed no responsibility for his actions and has inappropriately directed full blame on the clerical staff in his area. He has improperly stated that the clerical staff who report to him are not performing their work at the expected level and that he is merely holding them accountable.
First, discussing their performance as freely as he is with anyone not involved in their supervision or evaluation process is a personnel violation, and second, it is very likely slanderous. Rothkoft has ZERO credibility based on his own behavior. His finger-pointing and gossip about the staff members' incompetency add to his violations.
Despite Rothkoft's misdirected excuses, there is NO justification for such outrageous behavior- beginning with his document in which he refers to having a gun- a Glock. Consider that THMS is on high alert about any mention of weapons by students. Why is it acceptable for an administrator to claim to have one at hand?
It is not appropriate. It is not humorous.
There should be an immediate resolution (investigation, mediation, work behavior agreements, etc.) within the work environment over which Steven Rothkoft is the administrator. Most people who know about the current circumstances will see it for what it is: clerical staff is being scapegoated for the inappropriate conduct of an administrator. However, we are not in a caste system here at THMS.
The students who Rothkoft screamed at and kicked out of the work area should be given a sincere apology by him. He has allowed them to hang out in the area for as long as he has been at THMS. Suddenly, he spun into a tirade, screaming at them to leave the area. He is now blaming the students, much like he has the clerical staff, by saying that they have no business in his work area.
Really? His excuses for his conduct toward students and clerical staff are as flimsy and transparent as plastic wrap, and he will continue to get tangled in his lies.
Based on the inept manner in which this situation has been managed, we expect there will be parts three and four in our reporting unless the Governing Board takes immediate corrective action. Stop listening to the excuses and cover-up lies you continue to be given and get to the core of the truth, which boils down to lacking professional oversight at THMS, for which the Superintendent should be held accountable.
Please understand that none of the clerical staff directly involved in the situation working in Rothkoft's area are involved in this or the prior letter sent to the Governing Board and circulated to others. We have stepped in because we will NOT stand by and see students and staff mistreated. We will not stand by while an "interim" principal decides what she wants to do and does NOT want to do to manage the school.
We will not stand by and watch administrators attempt to blame clerical staff for the multiple mistakes they have jointly made (Comstock and Rothkoft). Comstock has a very prima donna attitude while serving as THMS's Interim Principal. We will not stand by and watch Comstock go on one witch hunt after another for the failings of last year's principal (another of Trujillo's inferior judgments).
We need an instructional leader at this school who will respect and communicate with ALL staff members and faculty and immediately deal with student behavior strategically, involving ALL administrators. Such is NOT the case now.
Sincerely,
THMS EMPLOYEES WHO CARE TOO MUCH TO REMAIN SILENT
💔 Voices of Concern: THMS Staff Speak Out After Glock Incident Involving Asst. Principal
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
