Rantz: Elementary principal allegedly pushed erotic fiction, said he’s a ‘lover of smut,’ recorded smoking weed

Parents and teachers are concerned with a Seattle-area school principal’s graphic social media postings.

Marcus Johnson of Phantom Lake Elementary school in Bellevue is a frequent contributor to his Instagram account. Up until Sept. 24, the profile was public. But after the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH asked him about its content, the account went private.

The account appears to belong to Johnson, though he won’t confirm it. The name listed was MDewayne Johnson, and his bio said he is an elementary principal. It even links to a document on his philosophy as a principal, signed Marcus D. Johnson.

But the bio also says he’s a “lover of smut” and that he “smokes weed.” It also links to what he calls “erotic fiction.”

The principal’s erotic fiction

In one graphic story, recorded and posted publicly on SoundCloud before he disabled it, Johnson details a sexual experience in graphic detail.

“He bent over the sink to wash his face, and I slowly crept up behind him. Taking one arm and placing it over his left shoulder and one around his waist, I gripped him firmly, burying my head in his neck, kissing him slightly as he watched me from the mirror. My skin felt so good against his, like we melted into each other. He leaned back and kissed my cheek while I hugged him closer. ‘Are you gonna let me get dressed?’ Playfully I shook my head no and buried my face into his shoulder,” Johnson says in the story “Dream.”

Then, the story gets exceptionally sexual.

“I felt his tongue flick against my <censored>. I nearly jumped out of my skin at the pleasure,” he says.

Most of the audio cannot be transcribed on this blog due to its graphic nature. But on the Instagram feed, there were also posts of written erotic fiction expressing sex acts in graphic detail.

Smoking … weed?

On Sept. 23, Johnson allegedly posted a video smoking what looks to be marijuana while listening to “My Place” by Tweet.

“I swear I’m spinnin’, I’m on a mary-go-round, and I picked up a joint to my face. My heart beats faster than the regular pace,” the singer performs as Johnson takes several drags.

The video, which lasts over a minute, ends with the on-screen text, “I got a pretty mouf…” followed by a smiling emoji with hearts. His original Instagram bio said he is a “Pudgy intellectual who smokes weed.”

The video was posted to Instagram Stories, which allows users to temporarily view videos over a 24-hour period before it’s permanently deleted.

An investigation?

It’s unclear how many parents or staff officially complained about the social media content. And it’s unknown when the district first learned about it.

A source tells the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH that Johnson was put on leave as the district reviews the social media posts. When asked if the district is looking into the content, a Bellevue School District spokesperson explained, “We do not comment on personnel matters.”

Johnson did not respond to requests for comment, and a school office staff member said he is out this week. According to a LinkedIn page, he’s held the job since July of this year.

The content is unquestionably protected speech. But it could violate district policy.

According to Policy No. 5253, “district employees are prohibited from inappropriate online socializing or from engaging in any conduct on social networking websites that violates the law, district policies or other generally recognized professional standards.” Violation of this policy could lead to “discipline and/or termination…” and it seems reasonable to believe the conduct of posting smoking what may be marijuana and performing erotic fiction on a public site students could access is unprofessional.

This situation highlights the tricky and sometimes grey area of weighing free speech rights versus appropriateness and judgment.

I haven’t seen any suggestions that Johnson isn’t a committed and effective educator. But it’s reasonable for parents, staff, and students to show concern over an elementary principal who proclaims he’s a “lover of smut.” It’s also alarming that students may have accessed his hardcore erotic fiction.

The district — and Johnson — owe the school community an explanation.

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