A Juneau school principal is on administrative leave and facing a charge of misdemeanor assault for allegedly restraining a student.
John Paul is the principal of Montessori Borealis and Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School, both of which are at the Dzantik’i Heeni campus in Lemon Creek. He’s served as principal since 2023.
According to charging documents, the student’s parent reported to Juneau police on March 12 that Paul restrained her son the week before. She described a video of the incident where Paul grabbed the student “by the back of the neck and threw him on the ground, face down, and got on top of him with all his body weight.”
The affidavit stated that the student said in an interview with a child advocacy center employee that he could not breathe during the incident.
On April 3, the city charged Paul with assault by “recklessly causing physical injury to another person.” That is considered a Class A misdemeanor under city code, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine.
John Roberson III, the attorney representing Paul, said in an email to KTOO that his client disputes the charge and “denies that his conduct was criminal.” He said, “The facts and context of what occurred will come out in court based on evidence and sworn testimony, not social media commentary.”
According to Juneau School District chief of staff Kristin Bartlett, Paul was placed on administrative leave the same day as the incident. An email sent to families and staff at the campus on April 13 stated the district will hire a new principal for both schools for the upcoming school year.
Lori Hoover, a retired principal who previously worked at Auke Bay Elementary School, has been the school’s substitute principal since last month.
Paul’s arraignment is scheduled for April 23 in Juneau.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the incident was reported on March 12.
