TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) board voted unanimously Tuesday night to appoint an interim principal at Pueblo High School as the investigation into former Principal Frank Rosthenhausler continues.
TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo announced the appointment of current Assistant Principal Alma Mejia-Garcia to the interim role.
"We're very very proud to recommend current assistant principal Alma Mejia-Garcia as the interim principal of Pueblo High School," Trujillo said.
The move follows months of concerns raised by staff and parents about Rosthenhausler, who served as Pueblo's principal for about eight years. At previous board meetings this year, staff members and parents read statements describing inappropriate behavior with female staffers and other negative experiences with the principal, whom they refer to as Mr. R.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Pueblo High Principal accused of misconduct
Counselor Nicole Jantzen at C.E. Rose Elementary School read a letter on June 16 to the board about what staff at Pueblo have encountered.
"At a Pueblo happy hour approximately two years ago, there are multiple instances where Mr. R is feeding Ms. Mayersohn some jello shots and displaying inappropriate touching at the bar in front of a substantial number of PHS employees," Jantzen said.
Pueblo High teacher Victoria Bodanyi says one of her biggest complaints is the differential treatment based off of gender.
"I will send emails and they are ignored until one of my male colleagues will email back, and then they just copy and paste what I say, and that gets a response," Bodanyi said.
Rosthenhausler is currently on administrative leave while TUSD investigates the complaints. His current contract runs through June 2027.
Mejia-Garcia, now entering her second year at Pueblo, after teaching and coaching softball at Salpointe Catholic High School, says she's excited to take on the new position and doesn't plan on changing much.
"You know, it's a community that doesn't need different. I think it's a community that just needs support and you know, someone who's gonna be a big cheerleader and that believes. You know, sí se puede," Mejia-Garcia said.
She described Pueblo as a special place with deep roots.
"We're talking about legacy. We're talking about 70 years of just established traditions and culture. The kids are great. You know, we have challenges, but I was able to embrace them because there's people there that are embracing it as a community, so it's awesome. That was my favorite part." Mejia-Garcia said.
She said there's great things happening at Pueblo, such as kids getting into Ivy League schools and excelling in sports — and she's happy to be a part of it.
"I'm excited to support that work that people before me have been working really hard to to build," Mejia-Garcia said.
Despite his disappointment, Rosthenhausler expressed support for Mejia-Garcia and the Pueblo community in a statement.
"I am in a good space, incredibly happy for Alma and this opportunity. I wish the Pueblo community and Ms. Alma the best of luck. I will always be here to support and love this community. It's my home and it will always be," Rosthenhausler said.
The board said it will appoint an interim assistant principal at a later time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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