Principal fired for theft, relationships

DEPEW, N.Y. (WIVB) - A principal in the Depew Union Free School District has been fired after investigators found he stole from his own students and carried on inappropriate relationships with two secretaries.

Robert Puchalski was principal at Cayuga Heights Elementary for 12 years. He was placed on paid leave in December 2011 and at the time, details were scarce. Puchalski was fired this week and charges brought by the district to the State Board of Education accuse him of mishandling money, inappropriate relationships with staff members and bullying students and staff.

MORE | Read more about the specific charges against Puchalski here

The school says the former principal stole field trip money from the kids. Puchalski  reportedly took money collected by teachers from students but then only deposited about half of it.

For example, for the fourth grade field trip to Genesee Country Village in 2010, the teacher gave Puchalski $1,395. Records show Puchalski only deposited $555. The same field trip the following year, the teacher gave Puchalski $1,270. Records show he only deposited $562.

Superintendent Jeffrey Rabey says about $1,000 is still missing. The amount might not sound significant, but you have to look at the circumstances.

Rabey said, "It was money raised through our families and students."

Puchalski has not been criminally charged, but Rabey says the Erie County District Attorney's office is aware of the school's investigation. While he was investigated for over a year, Puchalski was on paid leave, earning $116,000 to stay home.

The former principal did not respond to News 4's request for comments. But he gave an explanation to the Board of Education about the missing money, claiming he didn't deposit all the money in case some students couldn't go and needed money back.

Puchalski was also accused of having relationships with two secretaries after explicit letters were found by the district.

Between 2009 and 2011, phone records pulled by the district show Puchalski spent 295 hours during the school day talking to two secretaries. That's 12 whole days in the two-year span Puchalski spent talking to these married women from his office, an empty classroom, or a storage closet.

The district classified the calls as a misuse of school equipment. After Puchalski was placed on paid leave, district workers say they found in his office letters and cards from the two women they say "clearly indicates a personal and/or sexual relationship" with Puchalski.

MORE | Read what else the women said to Puchalski in letters found in his office here

One woman wrote in a letter:

"It would have been a good day for a hotel you gone from school early and no specific time to be home. I need a boyfriend. I am willing to give everything here up."

The other woman wrote in a card:

"I wish things were different as we were the ones coming home to each other. There isn't one day that I don't think about how things could be. You make me so happy all the time. The things you say and do just make me love you all the more."

In his response to the Board of Education, Puchalski said he was actually helping one of the women's daughter with her homework, even though the daughter would have been in school at the time.

The district told the board, even if his "...ridiculous explanation is to be believed, it is simply an admission he was ignoring his duties as principal of Cayuga Elementary."

And aside from theft of funds and inappropriate relationships with school staff, Puchalski was also accused of a few bizarre incidents in classrooms were he embarrassed children. In one instance, he brought a fifth grade girl to tears. You can read more about that here.

In the end, the Board of Education ruled the district had strong evidence to prove all 21 charges against Puchalski.

MORE | See the board's full ruling here and why they sided with the district on all of the charges

Rabey said that although paying someone for 13 months may seem like a long time, he considered the processing of this case to be quick considering the number of charges. He added that under NYS education law, Puchalski was entitled to paid leave and other protections while the investigation continued.