Parents and students protest suspension of principal in Dearborn Heights
DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Students and parents in Dearborn Heights protested Tuesday, demanding to know why a beloved principal is currently suspended.
It's been have been a few tough days for students who go to Annapolis High School.
First, a classmate of theirs committed suicide, and then shortly after, the principal, Aaron Mollett, was placed on paid administrative leave.
Parents surmise the two are connected, but leaders with the school district aren't saying much.
Parents and students in the Dearborn Heights school district think the world of him.
"He is a confidant for a lot of these students. He's a mentor. He's a friend, he's even friends to a lot of the parents," Tiffany Perez, a parent, said.
So it came as a shock to Perez and others hearing Mollett had been suspended.
The exact reason remains unclear.
Acting Assistant Superintendent, Claudia Portscheller Ed.D, provided CBS News Detroit with a statement on the district's behalf:
"Due to the privacy of personnel matters the district is not at liberty to share information regarding Mr. Mollett at this time. What we are able to share is that Mr. Mollett has been placed on paid administrative leave while the district conducts its investigation.
We recognize that Mr. Mollett is well thought of by students, staff and families, and situations such as these can be very emotionally charged. With regard to the student demonstration, we have every intent to support our students' First Amendment rights to gather peacefully to express their concerns. Our local law enforcement will be on site only to assure student safety and will not impede the demonstration in any way. We further recognize that students, staff members and families would like to have more information than we are able to provide. We ask for patience and grace as we work toward next steps in this highly-sensitive and difficult process."
"It's not really giving us any substance. It's just at this point sounds like an excuse or a generic cop-out for their actions," Robert Garcia, who supports Mollett, said.
So with a lack of transparency, parents and students felt they had no choice but to protest.
Hundreds of students walked out of Annapolis High in the middle of the school day, marching alongside parents to the Board of Education building and calling for Mollett to be reinstated.
"I came out here to support my principal; he's a really good guy. He always puts a smile on our faces, and he doesn't deserve this. He deserves better. We all love them. That's why we're out here to support him," Aysa Bailey, who attends Annapolis High School, told CBS News Detroit.
In a letter, the school board president, Latanya Gater, acknowledged the flood of emails and messages they received over the suspension, asking the public to trust the board and for their patience.
"We're very concerned that he's out of school without due process," Lorna Whitfield, another Mollett supporter, said.
Tuesday's protest is the first of several more.
There's another one planned for when the school board meets again on May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Annapolis High School auditorium.
