A public watchdog for Chicago Public Schools has concluded an investigation into sexual misconduct at Marine Leadership Academy, finding that 12 CPS employees and a school board member committed policy violations.

       The district’s Office of Inspector General released a final report Thursday that found that individuals at the Northwest Side military academy “engaged in inappropriate interactions with students” while staff members failed to report the violations.

       CPS has removed those 12 employees and one volunteer from the school, according to a statement from the district. A 13th employee was terminated, and the district removed two additional Marine Leadership Academy staffers who are under investigation.

       “The Inspector General’s investigation at Marine Leadership Academy revealed a school culture in which adults did not keep the safety and well being of students a priority,” CPS said in a statement. “CPS has zero tolerance for perpetrators of inappropriate relationships and abuse and complicit non-reporters who do nothing to stop such behavior.”

       In a news conference given in November following a preliminary report, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said the OIG’s investigation revealed “a stunning betrayal of trust and colossal failure of judgment and character on the part of far too many individuals.”

       The report substantiated violations of policy against the former Marine Leadership Academy principal, four teachers, three military instructors, four staff members and one member of the school’s Board of Governors who also served as a volunteer.

       It found that two teachers engaged in sexual misconduct with students and that a military instructor made sexually harassing comments to a student. Other individuals were found to have improperly communicated with students and failed to report potential misconduct in a timely way, among other violations of CPS policy in place to keep students safe.

       Erin Galfer, who was principal there before taking on a different role in CPS, was recently fired. Last month Galfer, through her attorney, told the Tribune she was “wrongly terminated” and that CPS “long knew about the misconduct and did not take timely steps to protect the students.”

       Marine Leadership Academy, which is affiliated with the U.S. Marine Corps JROTC program, serves 775 students in grades seven through 12, according to CPS records.

       mabuckley@chicagotribune.com

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