Bishop Miege president on leave pending investigation, new KCK archbishop says
The president of Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park has been placed on leave while an investigation is conducted into recent reports regarding his ability to manage a safe school environment, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas announced Friday.
'The executive committee of Bishop Miege High School's (BMHS) Board of Trustees has placed Phil Baniewicz on administrative leave, effective June 5, 2025,' newly installed Archbishop Shawn McKnight said in a statement posted on the archdiocese's website Friday morning.
'I support this action of the executive committee for the well-being of the school. Due to recent reports concerning his ability to oversee a safe environment for BMHS, a thorough investigation has been initiated.'
The executive committee of the BMHS board has appointed Joe Schramp as interim president, the statement said. Schramp, the school's associate principal and athletic director, did not respond to a request for comment. Baniewicz could not be reached for comment.
The archbishop's statement provided no details about the 'recent reports' that led to the action. Baniewicz, who was appointed in June 2023 as president of Bishop Miege, had come under criticism after it was learned that he was a defendant along with two Catholic priests in a 2005 sexual abuse lawsuit in Arizona.
'As this is a confidential personnel matter, no further information will be provided until the investigation is concluded,' McKnight's statement said.
'Our commitment is to make our schools and parishes places where every child feels safe, supported, and valued. This necessitates not only immediate action when concerns arise but also a continuous evaluation of our policies to ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent harm. Through our efforts of accountability and transparency, we aim to foster trust and to respect the dignity of every person.'
McKnight, former bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, was installed May 27 as the 12th bishop and fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas after being appointed by Pope Francis on April 8 to replace retiring Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.
'I ask you to join me in prayers for all involved in this situation: our students, their families, Mr. Baniewicz, our school community and our archdiocesan community,' McKnight said in his statement. 'Thank you for your prayers and for your witness of faith. May Mary, Mother of Church, protect us and guide us as we strive to follow her son, Jesus.'
In the 2005 lawsuit, Baniewicz was accused of sexually abusing a teen in 1985. The other defendants were the Rev. Mark Lehman and Monsignor Dale Fushek. The three were associated with St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona, at the time. Baniewicz and Fushek also were co-founders of Life Teen, a Catholic youth program that was used in hundreds of parishes worldwide.
The suit, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleged that Life Teen participant William Cesolini was abused by Baniewicz 'on more than one occasion' at St. Timothy's and by Lehman 'on several occasions.' It also alleged that Fushek, the church pastor, failed to stop or prevent the abuse, provided alcohol to Cesolini and watched Lehman sexually abuse the teen. It said the three threatened Cesolini if he reported them.
The lawsuit was based on repressed memories that Cesolini — who later became a seminary student — said he recovered in 2003 while undergoing counseling at a parish in Gilbert, Arizona. After the case was filed, the Life Teen board placed Baniewicz on administrative leave while it investigated. He was reinstated a few months later, but resigned in May 2006.
The Diocese of Phoenix and church officials were named as co-defendants in the suit for allegedly being negligent in overseeing the priests. The diocese agreed to pay Cesolini $100,000 in December 2006 to settle the suit.
In 1992, Lehman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a minor girl in a Phoenix parish and sentenced to lifetime parole for the sexual abuse of three other minor girls and one boy. He was defrocked in 2006 and died in 2018.
Fushek, a onetime second-in-command of the Phoenix diocese, was charged in 2005 with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, indecent exposure and assault — all misdemeanors — stemming from incidents involving other youth in the Life Teen program. He pleaded guilty to one count of assault and was sentenced to 364 days' probation and a $250 fine. He was defrocked in 2009.
Baniewicz was not charged with any crimes and started working at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, in the summer of 2006, where he was vice president of college relations for more than 3 1⁄2 years. After that, Baniewicz served for nearly 14 years as president of Maur Hill-Mount Academy, a college preparatory boarding school in Atchison.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas told The Star in 2023 that Bishop Miege and church officials knew about the 2005 Arizona lawsuit when Baniewicz was hired. Benedictine College and Maur Hill-Mount Academy also knew of the allegations, the archdiocese said, and in each hiring process, 'the matter was resolved to the satisfaction of the hiring entities.'
'The allegations were made known not only to Bishop Miege's board, but were discussed openly by Mr. Baniewicz during the hiring process,' the archdiocese said in 2023.
The archdiocese said that Baniewicz had emphatically denied any allegations of wrongdoing throughout.
Early last year, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) demanded that Baniewicz be removed from his position at Bishop Miege and called on then-Archbishop Naumann to publicly address concerns about him.
On Friday, David Clohessy, volunteer director of Missouri SNAP, criticized the archdiocese for releasing little information about the investigation.
'It's pathetic that Catholic officials continue to be so secretive about this man, his recent behavior and the (previous) child sex abuse report against him …' Clohessy said in a statement. 'While his suspension is welcome, he should never have been hired in the first place two years ago.
'Kids are safest when abuse allegations and concerns are reported to secular authorities like police and prosecutors, not to church officials. We hope every person who may have seen, suspected or suffered any misconduct by Phil Baniewicz or anyone at Bishop Miege High School will contact law enforcement as soon as possible. We also hope Archbishop Shawn McKnight will be more forthcoming soon and will use church resources to aggressively prod anyone with suspicions or knowledge of wrongdoing to contact law enforcement.'
Hal VonWyl, then-chairman of Bishop Miege's board of trustees, announced Baniewicz's appointment as the school's president in a June 30, 2023, note on the school's website.
'Mr. Baniewicz has a wealth of experience and a passion for Catholic education, with an extensive background in fundraising and community engagement,' VonWyl said.
The announcement included a statement from Naumann.
'Phil Baniewicz has been an exceptional leader for Maur Hill-Mount Academy,' Naumann said. 'Mr. Baniewicz is a man with a deep love for Jesus and His church. I am delighted that he will continue to use those leadership skills to serve Catholic schools as he begins his new responsibilities as the President of Bishop Miege High School.'
Baniewicz was quoted in the announcement, saying he 'can't wait to be a part of the Miege family.'
'I have been blessed to watch the Lord do amazing things at MH-MA, and I now look forward to being a part of a great Catholic community at Bishop Miege and seeing what God has in store,' he said.
In the note, VonWyl said the primary focus of the school's leadership team remained unchanged.
'The experience and expertise Mr. Baniewicz brings will undoubtedly contribute to this mission ensuring that our students continue to receive the highest quality education,' he said.
In his statement Friday, McKnight said that 'In keeping with our protocols, our Office for Protection and Care is prepared and eager to listen to you, using a trauma-informed approach. Please call or text our hotline number at 913-276-8703 or visit archkck.org/reportabuse.
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