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The criticism of Principal Frank Rosthenhausler was made public during Tuesday's Tucson Unified School District governing board meeting.

More than a dozen current and former teachers, a student and a former student presented the board with a list of grievances against Rosthenhausler, who has been principal at Pueblo, 3500 S. 12th Ave., for eight years. Rosthenhausler became an interim principal at Pueblo in June 2018 and was named the permanent principal in 2019.

"We are asking for a change in leadership," Victoria Bodanyi, an 11-year teacher at Pueblo, told the board, as staffers made claims that included sexism and dismissive behavior. "We want a leader who will be reflective, who has a plan, a vision and integrity that honors the students as holistic beings rather than just as points towards a letter grade; who will value us as professionals, who will listen to our expertise and who will lead with love."

The district launched a culture and climate review in May, which remains ongoing, that has received about 20% of staff participation.

Bodanyi blamed the lack of guidelines around the review for the lack of participation.

"There is no set, written policy for how a culture and climate review should go," she said. "That gives teachers pause. How are we supposed to trust the process is on the up-and-up if we don’t know what the process is?"

Rosthenhausler denied criticisms Wednesday, saying he treated all staff with respect, regardless of gender.

"I've never treated any staff like that. I've never cussed at staff, I've never been inappropriate with staff," he told the Star. "I completely and thoroughly deny that."

Speakers also raised concerns about student safety.

Eliseo Gomez, a Pueblo teacher, read a statement from an unidentified parent who criticized the school's handling of reports that a student had repeatedly taken photos of female students without their consent and followed girls around campus.

"The student was suspended for one week, but after returning to school, the behavior continued," the parent wrote.

The parent said their daughter reported another incident in May after realizing the student was allegedly taking photos of her buttocks while walking to class.

"My daughter immediately reported the incident to the office. She explained that she did not feel safe or comfortable being at school with him if no action was going to be taken," Gomez read. "She was initially told that something would be done, but later Mr. R informed my daughter that, although he was disgusted by the outcome, nothing was going to happen to the student regarding the situation."

"I am extremely concerned, not only for my daughter's safety, but for the safety and well-being of other female students who may continue to experience this behavior," the parent wrote.

Under Arizona law,  to knowingly invade a person's privacy for the purpose of sexual stimulation. School administrators and personnel are legally classified as "mandated reporters." Taking a sexually motivated photo of a student is considered a reportable crime against a child.

The Star asked Rosthenhausler if police were called at any point during the alleged incident.

"I can't comment, because it involves a child at the school and other children, but I will say that I follow policy to a T," Rosthenhausler said.

Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo told the Star Friday the school "responded exactly the way policy required them to."

"There was a thorough investigation, and there were disciplinary consequences, and I consider that matter appropriately responded to," Trujillo said.

Governing board member Sadie Shaw requested TUSD staff look into the sexual harassment incident mentioned by Eliseo Gomez and reminded Pueblo staff that retaliation, intimidation and harassment are prohibited by TUSD policy.

"Per governing board policy, when the adverse treatment is reasonably likely to deter the individual or others from making such disclosures to a public body, it is grounds for discipline of the employee engaging in the retaliatory conduct," Shaw said.

The Star asked Trujillo if TUSD would look into the sexual harassment incident again.

"That investigation has been thoroughly investigated, ruled upon, and closed," he said. "We can't just simply reopen an investigation because public sentiment doesn't have the full scope of knowledge on either the disciplinary consequences that were issued or the investigation that was initiated and completed."

Trujillo said the situation puts the governing board in a complicated situation because they are the ones who administer disciplinary action, which happens during executive, or closed-door, sessions during governing board meetings.

"There's really nothing they can do in a public session meeting in terms of discussing and responding to concerns," he said. "I will say that any and all due process rights and investigative steps will be followed and taken according to the allegations that have now been made."