Brad Boyd was promoted to deputy police chief just 23 days after fellow officers complained about unpaid union dues and canceled insurance. A week later, an emergency involving Boyd shut down Interstate 35 in Olathe.
OLATHE, Kan. — An Olathe school board member who was recently promoted to deputy police chief for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools is facing scrutiny following an armed emergency that shut down Interstate 35 and allegations from fellow officers about the handling of money collected for union dues and insurance coverage.
Bradley “Brad” Boyd, who represents District 2 on the Olathe Board of Education, was promoted from police sergeant to deputy chief Oct. 27, just 23 days after a group of officers complained to school district leadership about his handling of Fraternal Order of Police finances and other workplace concerns.
A week after that promotion, Boyd was involved in a Nov. 3 emergency on Interstate 35 near Lone Elm Road that closed both directions of the highway for approximately 90 minutes. An Olathe police report identified a possible firearm-related offense, although criminal charges had not been reported as of Nov. 10.
The incidents and the earlier complaints were detailed in a Nov. 10 investigation by KMBC 9 News reporter Andy Alcock. The reporting raises questions about Boyd’s conduct, the handling of officers’ union money and what Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools officials knew before approving his promotion.
Officers Raised Concerns Weeks Before Promotion
The controversy involving Boyd began well before the interstate shutdown.
On Oct. 4, a group of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools police officers sent an email to Chief Operations Officer Miguel Martin outlining complaints about Boyd’s leadership and his management of their Fraternal Order of Police lodge.
According to KMBC’s investigation, the officers asked to remain anonymous because they feared retaliation. They alleged that Boyd, who served as president of their FOP lodge, was the only person with access to its bank account and had failed to make required payments despite money being deducted from officers’ paychecks.
The officers claimed their national and state FOP membership dues had gone unpaid and that legal defense coverage and insurance had been canceled as a result. Those protections are particularly important to law enforcement officers who may need legal representation or insurance assistance because of incidents occurring during their official duties.
The officers also accused Boyd of leaving work early in his district police vehicle to work another job and failing to address their complaints. These claims have not been established as findings of misconduct.
The financial complaints are especially troubling to the officers because the money was deducted directly from their paychecks. The questions now concern what happened to those payments, why the lodge’s obligations reportedly went unpaid and whether the financial records can account for the money collected.
FOP members recently gained access to the lodge’s bank account. After reviewing the account information, they said they were preparing to refer the matter for criminal investigation.
The amount of money involved has not been publicly established, and the allegations do not, by themselves, prove that funds were stolen or intentionally misused.
Promotion Approved Despite Earlier Complaints
Despite the concerns raised in the Oct. 4 email, Boyd received a significant promotion later that month.
The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Board of Education approved his promotion from sergeant to deputy police chief Oct. 27. The following day, Police Chief Gary Washington notified officers of the decision.
The timing has become a central issue. The complaints had been sent to a senior district administrator more than three weeks before Boyd was promoted, but it is not publicly known whether district administrators investigated the allegations or whether the KCK school board was informed of them before approving the promotion.
Criminal defense attorney James Spies, questioned whether school district officials had adequately examined Boyd’s background and the complaints against him before approving his advancement.
The district has not publicly explained its review of the allegations. A district spokesperson described Boyd’s situation as a personnel matter and declined further comment.
I-35 Emergency Brings Boyd Under Additional Scrutiny
The questions surrounding Boyd’s employment took another turn Nov. 3 when an emergency involving an armed individual brought traffic to a standstill on one of Olathe’s busiest highways.
Olathe Today reported that morning that police had closed Interstate 35 in both directions between 151st and 175th streets after responding to a person experiencing a mental health crisis inside a vehicle near Lone Elm Road.
The incident began around 9:50 a.m. and drew a response from the Olathe Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and other agencies. Officers worked to resolve the situation while motorists were diverted onto surrounding roads.
The individual was safely removed from the vehicle, and the highway reopened around 11:20 a.m. Authorities did not initially identify the person involved.
KMBC subsequently reported that the individual was Boyd and that he had been inside his Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools police cruiser. The news organization reported that Olathe police characterized the incident as a suicide attempt.
The incident report also listed a possible offense of possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Kansas law prohibits possessing or carrying a loaded firearm while impaired by alcohol or drugs to the point that a person cannot safely operate the weapon. Under Kansas Statute, a violation is a Class A nonperson misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine.
The police report’s reference to a possible offense does not establish that Boyd was intoxicated or that he committed a crime. No publicly reported evidence has confirmed impairment.
As of KMBC’s Nov. 10 report, Olathe police had not forwarded the potential firearm case to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office or Olathe Municipal Court for prosecution.
Boyd’s mental health emergency and any potential criminal violation are separate matters. The emergency itself is not evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Controversy Also Reaches Olathe School Board
Although Boyd works for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, he also holds an elected position in a different school district.
Boyd represents District 2, Position 2 on the seven-member Olathe Board of Education, which oversees Olathe Public Schools. His employment and promotion in Kansas City, Kansas, are separate from his responsibilities as an Olathe school board member.
His involvement has drawn additional attention because of the Olathe board’s recent decision to close six schools at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
On Oct. 1, Boyd joined the board’s unanimous 7-0 vote to close Black Bob, Heritage, Scarborough, Tomahawk and Walnut Grove elementary schools, along with Indian Trail Middle School. Boyd seconded the motion made by board member Dr. Stacey Yurkovich.
The closure decision has generated substantial opposition among Olathe families, with parents questioning attendance boundary changes, transportation arrangements and the effects of moving children into different schools.
Gera Netcher, co-founder of Olathe Families United, a group opposing the closures, expressed concern about the allegations involving Boyd.
“It definitely makes you think about what our school board does outside of their roles,” Netcher said.
The controversy has raised questions about the conduct and judgment of an official who participates in decisions affecting thousands of Olathe students and their families.
There is no evidence that the allegations involving Boyd’s employment in Kansas City, Kansas, are connected to Olathe’s school closure decision or influenced his vote.
Questions Remain About Investigations and Boyd’s Future
The two matters involving Boyd remain unresolved.
In the interstate incident, the central question is whether investigators will find sufficient evidence to pursue a firearm-related charge. In the FOP matter, officers are seeking answers about the money deducted from their paychecks, the reported loss of insurance coverage and the handling of their complaints.
Questions also remain about whether Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools officials investigated those complaints before Boyd’s promotion and what information was provided to the district’s school board.
As of the Nov. 10, there had been no public announcement establishing criminal wrongdoing in either matter. The school district also had not publicly disclosed whether Boyd remained on active police duty or faced any administrative action.
Boyd’s has not responded to the specific allegations.
The controversy now involves an elected Olathe school board member whose conduct outside his school board responsibilities is receiving public scrutiny. Whether the investigations lead to charges, employment consequences or other action remains to be seen.
Olathe Today will continue following developments involving the I-35 incident, the FOP financial complaints and Boyd’s position on the Olathe Board of Education.
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