A private K-12 college preparatory school in Minnesota is facing a lawsuit for allegedly expelling a student whose father publicly criticized its principal. Matthew Bauer is suing St. Paul Academy, a school with tuition of $41,000 annually, alleging that his son was expelled just before the upcoming tenth-grade year as an act of retaliation.
Bauer claims the dispute began after he organized a gathering of school community members where concerns were raised about the school's principal, Dr. Luis Ottley. According to the lawsuit filed in Ramsey County Court, a draft letter of no confidence was prepared, which cited Ottley's alleged failure to address incidents of sexual harassment and a perceived decline in the school's standing under his leadership.
St. Paul Academy stated that the lawsuit has "no legal merit" and that the school intends to defend itself "vigorously." The school has not commented on the specific allegations concerning the expulsion.
According to the complaint, Bauer hosted a community event on February 11 at a St. Paul restaurant for alumni, faculty, staff, and other community members. While Bauer reportedly invited about 20 people, over 100 attended the event, which Bauer funded and was noted as "not an SPA event." The invitation encouraged attendees to "connect, socialize and engage in thoughtful conversation about topics related to the [SPA] school community."
Following this gathering, Bauer drafted the letter of no confidence. The lawsuit asserts that the letter detailed concerns about alleged unaddressed sexual harassment of female students, censorship of the school newspaper, and the departure of senior faculty and decreased donations. Bauer maintained that the letter did not reflect his personal opinions but rather the collective sentiment from conversations at the community event.
The lawsuit alleges that Ottley became aware of the letter and, on February 26, sent a school-wide email that included a document outlining the concerns mentioned in the draft. Bauer claims he only shared the draft with individuals who had RSVP'd for the event and that Ottley must have received it from another source.
One day after Ottley's email, Bauer re-enrolled his younger son for the 2026-2027 academic year. However, the lawsuit states that Ottley subsequently contacted Bauer via email, accusing him of attempting to undermine confidence in the school through gatherings and petitions. Ottley allegedly requested to meet with Bauer multiple times, but Bauer, citing work commitments, was unable to attend.
On April 13, Ottley issued a termination letter to Bauer, stating that the 2025-2026 academic year would be the family's last at St. Paul Academy and voiding the younger son's re-enrollment. The letter reportedly cited "efforts to undermine community trust" and the "authorship and distribution of a no-confidence letter" as reasons for termination. It also stipulated that "completion of the current school year is strictly contingent upon your cooperation and partnership" and warned that failure to act as constructive partners or engaging in disruptive actions would lead to immediate termination of enrollment.
Bauer claims the alleged expulsion leaves his son without comparable educational alternatives, as deadlines for local independent schools had already passed before he had cause to apply elsewhere. He stated in the lawsuit that he had "always dreamed of sending his children" to the institution. The lawsuit also notes that Bauer's older son was allegedly threatened with expulsion shortly before his graduation, which could have jeopardized his enrollment in the U.S. Naval Academy.
The older son, Carsten, has publicly spoken out against the alleged expulsion, calling the retaliations "warnings" about the consequences of ignored voices and dismissed concerns.
Bauer is seeking the reinstatement of his younger son's enrollment contract and approximately $50,000 in damages.