Authorities report that a teacher in Iowa who had recently been placed on administrative leave committed suicide.
Dr. Kristopher Rollins, a teacher with the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS), passed away on Friday at the age of 39, DMPS Superintendent Tom Ahart revealed in a letter to staff, according to the Des Moines Register.
According to a spokeswoman for the Des Moines Police Department, his death seemed to be a suicide. One day after being placed on administrative leave, Kristopher Rollins passed away at home on Friday, Des Moines Public Schools spokeswoman Phil Roeder said to CBS affiliate KCCI.
While Movement 515, the urban art collective that Rollins helped form, had previously praised him as “one of the best-known educators in the city,” Rollins was later accused of being a “predator” and “groomer” after having a connection with a pupil.
The organization claimed that the unnamed student was a minor during their relationship, even though she has since graduated from DMPS. According to KCCI, Kristopher Rollins and fellow instructor Emily Lang were “put on administrative leave on Thursday following information obtained last week,” the school said in a statement to PEOPLE.
The school continued, “But this is still a personnel concern, and we cannot discuss specifics of the allegations as we investigate the matter. Our current priority is to offer counseling and support to their students and coworkers during this difficult time.
Also confirming to PEOPLE that the DMPS took administrative action, the Des Moines Police Department adds that “they have no official reports to launch an investigation.”
According to the Register, Kristopher Rollins began his career with Des Moines Public Schools 11 years ago at Harding Middle School, where he taught history studies and reading. According to the publication, Kristopher Rollins actively participated in the middle school’s youth leadership and artistic programs.
He co-founded RunDSM, an organization that gives “marginalized children access to culturally conscious curricula, urban art forms, and opportunities for student-centered community involvement” because of his love of hip-hop, poetry, and social justice.
Rollins assisted in the establishment of Movement 515, a group whose goal is to foster a “representative, culturally cognizant climate inside Des Moines Public Schools.” On their website, the program is referred to as an “urban arts community where students and mentors join together twice a week to create spoken word poetry and graffiti art.”
Later, according to ABC affiliate WOI-DT, Kristopher Rollins changed careers and began working as a faculty member at the Central Campus of Des Moines Public Schools. According to the Register, he later worked as a co-facilitator of the Central Campus Urban Leadership Program, a district art coordinator, and a transformational leadership coach in the office of talent and support.
Trigger Warning: mentions of death, grooming, predatory behavior and sexual violence. pic.twitter.com/8CYGHgZy1m
— 🖤 (@Movement515) August 24, 2021
Many people who knew Kristopher Rollins were startled to hear of his passing as word went throughout the Des Moines area, remarking how well-known and respected the educator was.
Former student Jalesha Johnson, 24, told the Register, “he was always showing us his humanity, that he wasn’t perfect.” “He made this city different. He altered Des Moines Public Schools. He impacted not only the lives of the young people in this area but also mine.”
According to Qynne Kelly, a close friend and former coworker of Kristopher Rollins, his work with Movement 515 and RunDSM significantly influenced urban children.
“It was all about letting loose with creativity, being able to be who they indeed were, and having the leadership and organization skills to work within the community. That has a genuinely incredible influence, “According to her, the Register. The entire DMPS neighborhood is in sorrow.
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