Former KCK Public Schools police officer claims school system is mired in issues
The former employee cited gun, drug, violence, and sex issues at the schools
The former employee cited gun, drug, violence, and sex issues at the schools
The former employee cited gun, drug, violence, and sex issues at the schools
A former Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools police officer claims that school system is mired in issues, citing gun, drugs, violence, and sex issues at the schools.
Marialexa Sanoja spoke to KMBC 9 Investigates the day she resigned from her job as a police officer at Wyandotte High School December 13.
Despite loving her job, Sanoja cited in her resignation letter a lack of support and a fixed mindset for the school as among her reasons for leaving the KCKPS Police Department.
"Nobody was hearing what I was saying, nobody is hearing the parents,” she said.
Last August, just days after school started, a gun was brought into Wyandotte High School.
Parents were notified.
In her resignation letter, Sanoja notes four other times from August to early December, gun threats were reported involving students on or near school property.
They include a September incident when a student was arrested at a soccer match on school property in possession of a loaded gun with an extended magazine and fentanyl.
“Parents are not aware of that. They try to keep everything really quiet and that is disturbing,” Sanoja said.
KMBC 9 Investigates took Sanoja’s claims to KCKPS.
In response to our questions, KCKPS administrators sent an email to parents stating, “a story will likely be aired by KMBC-TV 9”.
Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield has acknowledged all four additional gun incidents happened.
But she said parents weren’t notified because they did not take place in the school, but around the school.
Dr. Stubblefield spoke to KMBC 9 Investigates a month after our initial request.
"Is that something that we can learn from or re-evaluate? Absolutely,” she said.
Additionally, Sanoja in her resignation letter writes fentanyl, oxycodone, and a box of bullets were all brought into Wyandotte High.
She also cites a police report about a student taken to the hospital by ambulance for a bad reaction to edibles as well as assaults on teachers and a police officer, she says about 140 police reports in three-and-a-half months.
“We have fights every single day. We confiscate drugs every single day,” Sanoja said.
Stephanie Cruz Castillo, 18, a former Wyandotte High student, shared video of another student pulling her by the hair and throwing her to the ground in October.
She said it was one of two fights with the same student the same day.
"Almost every day, there was a fight,” Stephanie said.
“Honestly, that may be factual,” Dr. Stubblefield said in response.
KMBC 9 Investigates found dozens of videos posted on social media of fights claiming to have taken place at Wyandotte High.
They show girls beating up girls, assaults both inside and outside, and donnybrooks with lots of students involved.
“If they’re involved in a fight, their parent or guardian should be contacted,” Dr. Stubblefield said.
“Never call me,” said Elizabeth Castillo, Stephanie’s mother.
She said instead of finding out from the school her daughter had been attacked, she found out when a friend sent her a social media video showing the fight.
It’s not what Elizabeth envisioned when she brought her family from El Salvador to Kansas City, Kansas six years ago, hoping for a better education for her children.
When asked if she thinks her children are getting a good education, Elizabeth replied, “No, I don’t think so.”.
Stephanie now takes classes online after Elizabeth pulled her daughter out of Wyandotte High.
“It’s like a jail,” Elizabeth said about Wyandotte High.
“I feel more safe at home than school,” Stephanie said.
“Our schools are probably some of the safest places for our students in our community,” Dr. Stubblefield said.
When KMBC 9 Investigates asked Sanoja if anybody was safe in the KCKPS schools, she said, “Based on my experience at Wyandotte High, no.”
Wyandotte High is not the only school in the KCKPS system where these types of incidents have taken place.
From August 2021 through November 19, 2022, KMBC 9 Investigates has obtained a list of hundreds of police reports at schools throughout the system.
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, KCKPS released a video statement addressing the former employee's concerns featured in this story.