# Investigators detail toxic environment under ousted Shawnee principal **Published:** 2026-06-16T09:00:00.000Z **Source:** [KY Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-06-16/shawnee-staff-describe-toxic-environment-under-now-ousted-jcps-principal) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/investigators-detail-toxic-environment-under-ousted-shawnee-principal Current and former staff members at the Academy @ Shawnee described a toxic workplace environment under executive principal Hollie Smith, according to an investigation by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Smith was reassigned to a position at the Van Hoose Center in March and has been told she will not return to the historic west Louisville school. Five staff members spoke to KyCIR about the months-long inquiry into Smith's conduct, citing harassment, retaliation against employees who spoke out, and questions about how school funds were used. The employees requested anonymity for fear of retaliation and because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. "Under Smith, they said the school became a toxic environment where Smith harassed employees and retaliated against those who spoke out," KyCIR reported. Staff also raised concerns about transparency in financial reports for activity and athletic team accounts, saying leadership often refused to provide routine documentation. JCPS spokesman Carolyn Callahan confirmed the investigation but declined to comment on its specifics. Smith has been barred from contacting school faculty, staff, parents or students. She was also permitted to return to campus for only one day during the week of May 4-8 for unspecified purposes. The investigation comes as the Academy @ Shawnee undergoes significant institutional changes. The school will split its leadership between a middle school principal and a high school principal going forward. JCPS selected Kym Rice's successor, Smith, in May 2024, describing her at the time as "highly qualified" for the role. Rice, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 school year, left the school understaffed but "well-run," according to staff accounts. Under Smith, the school's work environment deteriorated despite the school's continued transformation. The Academy @ Shawnee, built in 1927, has been the subject of substantial district investment in recent years. [JCPS invested $42 million in renovations](https://www.lpm.org/news/2020-02-17/a-rare-look-into-the-condemned-third-floor-of-louisvilles-academy-shawnee), including restoration of the third floor that had been condemned since the early 1980s. That overhaul was part of broader efforts by district officials to right historic inequities at the majority-Black school, which had been systematically underfunded for decades. Former principal Joni Britt, who oversaw the high school grades, is also under investigation, though she resigned on May 15. Like Smith, Britt has not responded to requests for comment. The disclosure also raises questions about the transparency of JCPS public records practices. KyCIR initially requested Smith's reassignment letter in March, but the district withheld it, citing the ongoing investigation. When KyCIR followed up on March 31, an assistant general counsel said there were "no additional records at this time," despite Smith having been reassigned 11 days earlier. Only after the Louisville Courier-Journal publicly reported on the March reassignment in June did JCPS acknowledge the oversight. The district's general counsel blamed "confusion" and said the Open Records staff "did not realize the oversight," according to KyCIR reporting. ## Sources - [KY Center for Investigative Reporting](https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-06-16/shawnee-staff-describe-toxic-environment-under-now-ousted-jcps-principal) - [WHAS11 reporting on Smith's reassignment and investigation](https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/shawnee-principal-hollis-h-smith-investigation/417-34359068-5ac3-4b4b-a691-1758f3fb0470) - [JCPS Academy @ Shawnee school information](https://www.jefferson.kyschools.us/schools/academies-louisville/academyshawnee) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Center for Investigative Reporting, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lpm.org/investigate/2026-06-16/shawnee-staff-describe-toxic-environment-under-now-ousted-jcps-principal.