Principal at YDHS and Montessori Borealis on leave, facing charge of assaulting seventh-grade student

John Paul accused of throwing student to ground and using bodyweight to pin him down; district states it plans to hire a new principal for the schools

John Paul, principal of Montessori Borealis and Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School, is on administrative leave as he faces allegations of assaulting a seventh-grade student. (Juneau School District photo)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

This article has been updated with a statement from John Paul’s attorney.

A school principal accused of throwing a seventh-grade student to the ground and pinning the youth with his bodyweight is on administrative leave and facing a charge of assault, according to Juneau School District officials and court records.

John Paul, 57, principal of Montessori Borealis and Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School at the Dzantik'i Heeni campus, was placed on leave on March 5, the same day the alleged incident occurred, according to Kristy Germain, director of operations for the school district. An email sent to staff and parents Monday states a new principal will be hired for those schools for the next school year.

Paul was charged a month later, on April 6, with one count of assault involving purposeful or reckless injury (a Class A misdemeanor), according to the Alaska Court System’s online database. He is scheduled to be arraigned April 23 at the Dimond Courthouse.

His attorney, John Roberson III, stated in an email to the Juneau Independent on Wednesday that "Mr. Paul disputes the charge and will respond through the legal process."

"Right now, the public has an incomplete and secondhand account of what happened," Roberson wrote. "The facts and context of what occurred will come out in court based on evidence and sworn testimony, not social media commentary."

Mr. Paul denies that his conduct was criminal, and he is presumed innocent. Out of respect for the legal process, we won’t have further comment at this time."

Germain and JSD Chief of Staff Kristin Bartlett said they cannot discuss details of the incident, including why Paul was put on leave, due to confidentiality rules involving district personnel.

An April 3 prosecution affidavit for the court case states a parent of a special needs student in the Montessori program was told she needed to pick her son up because he was having a bad day on March 5. In a statement given to two Juneau Police Department officers, she said when she arrived she saw Paul yelling at her son in a corner. She also said she was told by the principal that he had needed to restrain the student because he was trying to leave the school.

The parent was shown a video of the encounter between Paul and her son on March 10, according to the affidavit.

"(The parent) described the video as (the student) standing with his arms at his side, lips not moving when suddenly Paul grabbed (the student) by the back of the neck and threw him to the ground, face down, and got on top of him with all of his body weight," the affidavit states. "(The student’s) legs were flailing, then they went limp. When Paul got up, (the parent) described it looking like (the student) ‘rebounded.’"

The student was interviewed on March 13 by a Child Advocacy Center representative, according to the affidavit. The report states the student "told the Child Advocacy Center interviewer that Paul had tackled him to the ground causing (the student’s) forehead to hit the ground and causing (the student) to see stars."

"(The student) explained that Paul used his bodyweight to pin him to the ground, causing (the student) to experience a crushing pain like ‘being crushed in a hydraulic press,’" the affidavit states. "(The student) was unable to breath[sic] while Paul was on top of him, causing (the student) to think he was going to die."

A profile of Paul at the district’s website states he has worked for more than 30 years as an educator, including as an English teacher, coach, academic support program coordinator and assistant principal.

An email notification about Paul being on leave, without specifying a reason, was sent Monday by the district to staff and parents of students at the two schools.

"Lori Hoover, retired JSD principal and experienced long-term administrative substitute, will continue to be the principal for Montessori Borealis (MB) and Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School (YDHS) as Principal John Paul is on administrative leave," the email states. "Principal Hoover has been acting principal at MB/YDHS since March."

"The District is in the process of filling the MB/YDHS principal position for the 2026-2027 school year. In preparation for finding the next principal, a survey will be coming out this month for staff and stakeholders to provide feedback on important qualities in the next principal."

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.