Kristopher Rollins.Photo: Des Moines Public Schools
Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) educator Dr. Kristopher Rollins died Friday at age 39, DMPS Superintendent Tom Ahart confirmed in a letter to staff, according to theDes Moines Register.
A spokesperson with the Des Moines Police Department tells PEOPLE that his death was an apparent suicide.
Rollins' death at his home Friday came one day after he was put on administrative leave, Des Moines Public Schools spokesperson Phil Roeder confirmed to CBS affiliateKCCI.
The unnamed student has since graduated from DMPS but the group said she was a minor at the time of their relationship.
“However, this remains a personnel issue and we cannot discuss details of the allegations as we continue to look into the matter,” the school added. “Our focus now is to also provide counseling and support to their students and colleagues during this time.”
The Des Moines Police Department also confirms to PEOPLE that the DMPS took administrative action, but notes that “they have no formal reports to initiate an investigation.”
Rollings first started working for Des Moines Public Schools 11 years ago at Harding Middle School as a social science and reading teacher, according to theRegister.
During his time at the middle school, Rollins became heavily involved with the youth leadership and arts programs, the outlet reported.
His love for hip-hop, poetry and social justice led him to co-foundRunDSM, an organization that provides “marginalized students access to culturally conscious curriculum, urban art forms, and opportunities for student-centered community activism.”
Later, Rollins transitioned into a faculty member role at Des Moines Public Schools' Central Campus, ABC affiliateWOI-DTreported.
He went on to serve as a co-facilitator of the Urban Leadership Program at Central Campus, as well as an arts coordinator for the district and a transformational leadership coach in the district’s Office of Talent and Support, according to theRegister.
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As news of Rollins' death spread through the Des Moines community, many who knew him were left shocked, noting how the educator was very well-known and revered.
“He was always showing us his humanity, that he wasn’t a perfect person,” Jalesha Johnson, a 24-year-old former student, told theRegister. “He changed this city. He changed Des Moines Public Schools. He changed my life, the lives of so many young people here.”
“It was all about getting free with art, being able to be their authentic selves, being able to be leaders and organize within the community… The impact of that is unreal,” she said, per theRegister. “The whole DMPS community is in mourning.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
