STUBENVILLE, Ohio – An Ohio school superintendent is facing multiple criminal charges for allegedly working to cover up rape accusations against two star football players, providing the latest example of irresponsible and unethical leadership by school officials.

Michael McVey, 51, pleaded not guilty to numerous criminal charges for allegedly wiping computer hard drives, erasing emails and lying to authorities investigating allegations of sexual assault by two players on the Steubenville High School football team, the Associated Press reports.

“The charges stem from an investigation of McVey’s actions after he learned of allegations in 2012 made by a 16-year-old West Virginia girl against the two members of the storied Steubenville High football team, one of whom was the team’s quarterback,” according to the news service.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

“McVey is accused of misleading authorities about the school’s investigation into the rape allegations and concealing knowledge about rumors of sex and drinking at a teen party four months earlier.”

Other school employees, and a volunteer coach who hosted the teen drinking party, were charged with misdemeanor crimes and sentenced. The players were eventually convicted in juvenile court, sent to youth detention centers, and required to register as sex offenders, the AP reports.

Court records allege McVey erased evidence in emails and on computer hard drives, or instructed someone else to do it, in an attempt to hide a cover-up in the high-profile case.

“The case drew national attention in part because of the role of texting and social media in exposing the attack, which led to allegations that authorities were covering up the actions of football players,” the AP reports.

McVey faces felony charges for tampering with evidence and obstructing justice, and misdemeanor crimes of falsification and obstructing official business, according to the news service.

The case is a despicable reminder that many public school officials cannot be trusted to prioritize the interests or safety of students, and many are willing to go to great lengths to save their own skin.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

A rash of standardized testing scandals in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio and other states has revealed that some educators would rather cheat the system than own up for their failures. Teachers, at the urging of school leaders, have physically erased students’ incorrect answers and replaced them with correct ones, leaked testing questions, and orchestrated school-wide cheating systems.

Numerous stories in recent years have also documented the practice known in the education world as “passing the trash,” in which school and union officials orchestrate deals that allow suspected child molesting teachers to resign in exchange for letters of recommendation.

In a recent Florida case, Orange County Public Schools decided not to report suspected child molester Jennifer Fichter, who openly admitted to lusting after a 14-year-old student.

Instead, the district allowed Fichter to find a new job at Central Florida Aerospace Academy, where she was eventually busted for having sex with a 17-year-old student, conceiving his child, and aborting the baby, Life Site News reported.

The point is that school officials across the country are often more concerned about negative publicity or their career aspirations than exposing misconduct and holding employees (or students who are star athletes) accountable for their actions.

That’s why it’s essential that parents and the media hold school leaders accountable for their decisions, and ensure people like McVey pay for their crimes.