A former Juneau principal pleaded no contest to an assault charge and was sentenced to 60 days in prison on Tuesday. He physically assaulted a student who was waiting outside the school for his mom to pick him up.
In March, John Paul tackled and pinned down a twelve-year-old child while he was the principal of Juneau’s Montessori Borealis and Yaaḵoosgé Daakahídi High School. He initially pleaded not guilty to one assault charge in April. But Paul changed his plea to no contest during a Tuesday hearing, which he participated in remotely. That means he doesn’t dispute the charge and will be convicted of assault.
Sherri Layne is a prosecutor for the City and Borough of Juneau. She said during the hearing the city accepted the plea, but wanted Paul to take more accountability for his actions.
“Though it has the same effect, I don’t think it is really taking responsibility as much as we had hoped, as well as he’s not here in the courtroom as well to take responsibility for this,” she said.
Heather, the mother of the child Paul assaulted, was at the hearing. KTOO is not using her last name to protect her child’s identity. Reading from a written victim statement, she said her son has autism and relies on being in a safe space at school. She said he will not be able to walk away from his trauma the way Paul would be able to after serving his sentence.
“The impact of this assault will follow him for years. It has affected his sense of safety, his trust in adults and authority figures, and his ability to feel secure in an environment where he should have been protected,” she said.
Paul was ultimately charged with fourth degree assault and sentenced to 60 days at Lemon Creek Correctional Center. However, Paul is able to apply to be placed under electronic monitoring instead.
In a phone interview with KTOO on Thursday, Heather said she was not aware that Paul would have that option. She said she believes he “got off easy.”
“As a parent, I have to teach my child that actions have consequences, and he’s not really having to pay those consequences,” she said.
Heather said she’s glad her son will not have to testify in a trial, but that she was prepared for it so that Paul would have to face a jury and have a video of the incident be considered.
KTOO reviewed the video of the incident. It matches Heather’s testimony and charging documents of the case.
She said her son has gone back to school at Montessori Borealis, but he was anxious about it. She said the school district provided a full time paraeducator to work with her son at her request, and that it’s going well for him.
John Roberson represented Paul in the trial. He said the change in plea is an appropriate consequence for his client.
“This resolution provides finality,” he said. “It avoids putting the student, the school employees, and everyone else involved through a contested trial while still imposing a conviction and a meaningful period of incarceration.”
In his comments, Paul apologized to Heather’s family and said he regrets his actions despite more than three decades of experience in education.
“I recognize that I’m here today because of one poor decision, but I accept that responsibility and hope that my career and my life is not defined by this one moment in time,” Paul said.
District Court Judge Kirsten Swanson presided over the hearing. She said the mandatory minimum of 60 days was a long enough sentence. She added that he would be experiencing other consequences.
“Mr. Paul is now going to have a conviction of record that will follow him wherever he goes,” she said. “It sounds like it might have affected his career because of this. It will certainly affect future career because it is an assault conviction and it is a conviction.”
Paul has until October 30 to remand to the prison. The original date was September 30. Swanson gave additional time to allow him to apply for electronic monitoring instead of serving his sentence in prison.
Swanson said the Department of Corrections will make that decision, but she thinks it’s unlikely it would happen.
