High school principal in Tipp City to resign; had received warning, discipline

The letter stated Barnes would be “exercising my right to continuing contract as a teacher with the Tipp City Schools.” Barnes further said he would look forward to receiving his teaching position for the 2024-25 school year and beyond.

Moran said the district would have no comment on the resignation. The principal position has been posted, and the district is accepting applications.

“Mr. Barnes’ assignment will be known when district staffing is completed this spring,” Moran said.

The resignation was accepted by the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools Board of Education at its Feb. 20 meeting. The resignation was included as part of the consent agenda and the board made no comment on accepting it. Barnes had met in a closed executive session with the board in Jan. 16.

Barnes late last week declined to comment further on the resignation.

A review of Barnes’ personnel file showed a written warning in March 2023 from then-Superintendent Mark Stefanik and Lisa Tuttle-Huff, district director of human resources, for alleged lack of follow through on a district policy and facility use protocols.

The warning involved “inadequately punishing” three male students for making blatantly sexually violent statements to at least two female students, and for not following facility use protocol for allowing use of the high school gym prior to receiving approval from the district business operations director.

Also, a letter of discipline was issued Oct. 17 by Tuttle-Huff regarding the handling of a complaint about a student having sexual contact in the high school parking lot. The complaint, she wrote, was not handled in a timely manner.

Barnes was hired as principal in summer 2021, coming to the district from the Sidney City Schools where he served for 24 years as a teacher of first, third, fifth, seventh and eighth grades and as high school assistant principal and middle school principal. He first received a two-year contract and then a one-year contract that expires in July.

Barnes is being paid $106,050 this year, according to personnel documents.