LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — The principal of Olentangy High School was placed on administrative leave a day after a school employee filed a sexual harassment complaint against him.
A letter obtained by 10TV on Friday stated that Robert Griffiths was named in a sexual harassment and Title IX investigation. He was placed on paid administrative leave on Oct. 9.
In the letter, Griffiths is accused of making "disparaging comments" toward an employee dating back to when she started working at the high school in July 2022. The letter also states that he called her derogatory terms referencing female anatomy at least 40 to 50 times. He is accused of using similar language to and about others.
The complaint alleges that Griffiths mocked the school district's effort to establish a Women's Leadership program and the employee's interest in participating, scheduling conflicting meetings that would restrict her ability to participate.
The complaint alleges other aggressive behaviors and profanity directed toward the school employee that fall outside Title IX but might constitute misconduct if substantiated.
Griffiths has been the principal at the high school for six years and has been with the district for 22 years. He was previously a science teacher and spent 10 years in sales for Fisher Scientific before changing careers, according to the school’s website.
Olentangy Schools issued the following statement regarding the newly released memo.
"Olentangy Schools is committed to a school environment that allows our staff to flourish professionally, create and maintain positive relationships, and remain focused on facilitating maximum learning for every student. Professional behavior should model the behaviors we expect of our students. When complaints are made regarding alleged misconduct of staff, our priority is a fair and impartial investigation that minimizes its impact on Olentangy students, families, and staff so that we can continue to prioritize student learning. Here, where a complaint was made alleging violations that, if true, could constitute violations of Title IX, Board Policy, and the Ohio Department of Education’s Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators, the decision was made to place the administrator on paid administrative leave while the investigation is completed."
