KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The principal of Loy Norrix high school is accused of sexually harassing a former employee, according to a federal lawsuit.
The civil complaint was filed late 2016 against Principal Rodney Prewitt by a former counselor at the high school. She alleges they dated briefly, but after she ended it, he continued to make unwanted sexual advances towards her and would continue to do so when she asked him to stop. Among those advances, she alleges Rodney would comment on her clothes, hair, and appearance and ask her if she was dating anybody.
On another occasion, the former counselor says Prewitt handed her a sticky note with her best friend’s address and phone number, stating he was going to pursue her next because he was under the impression the former counselor was seeing someone else.
The plaintiff also says other women at the school have similar complaints.
According to Florida court documents, Prewitt once had his educator’s license suspended in the state for two years in the early 2000s after similar sexual harassment allegations arose.
The lawsuit also names Kalamazoo Public Schools as defendants, alleging they had to have known Prewitt was suspended from teaching in Florida when they hired him in 2013.
The district released the following statement Friday afternoon from legal counsel, Craig Noland:
“Mr. Prewitt has been working in the State of Michigan as a school administrator since 2006, first at Beecher Community School District until 2013 and at Kalamazoo Public Schools since. He holds an active administrator certification issued by the Michigan Department of Education. We believe the case has no merit and will not comment further on pending litigation.”
