A Denver Public Schools employee intends to sue the district for $200,000, saying she was sexually harassed by the principal of Smiley Middle School who quit in December.
Nate Howard, an educator for 23 years with the district, resigned as principal during the school’s winter break. He said he did not agree with the changes the district was making at Smiley.
A month after his resignation, KenNeece Haley, 37, the school’s bookkeeper, sent a letter through her attorneys from the Colorado Education Association to the district alleging sexual harassment by Howard.
“This harassment included making degrading sexual comments to her, unwanted sexual touching and humiliating her,” according to the Jan. 27 letter, obtained by The Denver Post. “When she would ask him to stop, he would remind her that she owed him her job.”
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Howard denied doing anything wrong.
Haley claims that Howard:
• Asked her to stand on a chair so he could see whether he could perform oral sex on her from that position.
• Offered her job-related benefits for sex acts.
• Placed $300 on his desk and told Haley that she would receive the money, plus $200 more, if she would have sex with him and another employee.
The letter states Haley taped a conversation with Howard on Oct. 2 that confirms one allegation.
In the claim, Haley alleges she suffered emotional distress, loss of sleep, anxiety, depression and damage to her reputation, among other things.
Howard said that he has never had a sexual relationship with Haley and that his only relationship was as her supervisor.
He said he did not know of a taped conversation.
Howard said Haley’s harassment allegations came after the district began investigating bookkeeping problems at the school and after he had begun disciplinary procedures against Haley for bookkeeping irregularities.
“When you are doing disciplinary measures, people say things, and they do things,” Howard said.
Haley’s attorney refused to comment and would not allow her to comment. Haley began her first day back at the school on Monday after an extended absence.
Documents obtained by The Denver Post show the district audited the school’s bookkeeping and determined $3,647.36 was unaccounted for over a period from July 1, 2008, to Nov. 13, 2008.
Most of that money — $2,754 — was in bus passes given to students.
District officials say the audit was not focused on Howard. Officials said they cannot discuss the audit because it is a personnel issue that is protected information.
“I have worked for the district for 20-some-odd years. I have nothing but accolades in my file,” Howard said. “My record is clean.”
“To use me to gain money, I am obviously not very happy,” he said.
Howard, 46, had been principal at Smiley since 2002 and made $90,717 last year, not including an $8,000 bonus. He said he currently was out of state working on his doctorate.
Smiley was embroiled in some controversy last year when the district decided to make the Park Hill school a shared campus by placing a charter high school within the Smiley building.
Howard said he resigned over that decision.
