The Damascus High School principal, who left her position this week as an investigation into alleged rapes in a locker room at the school continues, has taken a job in the school system’s central office.
Casey Crouse, who resigned as Damascus High’s principal on Tuesday, has started as an “administrator on special assignment” in the school system’s office of Human Resources and Development, according to a school spokesman.
Crouse will receive the same annual salary as when she was principal, the spokesman said, which is $160,763, according to school system documents. Her position change was approved by Superintendent Jack Smith.
Crouse was still listed as principal of Damascus High on an online school system staff directory Thursday night, but by Friday morning, her name was removed from the list completely.
In a letter to community members, Crouse cited the fallout from an Oct. 31 incident in which four junior varsity football players were charged with raping their teammates last year in a school locker room hazing as her reason for resigning. In her letter, Crouse said the school needs new leadership “to move forward.”
Four football players, all 15 years old, face charges of first-degree rape, attempted rape and conspiracy and will be tried in juvenile court after allegedly raping some teammates with a broomstick before practice.
Crouse, 48, was one of several Damascus High officials named in a Washington Post article that said administrators knew of the alleged rapes for more than 12 hours and launched their own investigation before alerting police.
The school system recently placed the JV coach, Vincent Colbert, and the school’s athletic director, Joe Doody, on administrative leave as it completes an internal investigation into whether there was a lack of adult supervision the afternoon of the attacks.
Kevin Yates, a principal intern at Julius West Middle School, will serve as acting principal at the 1,200-student school beginning Monday.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
