Brashear High School Principal Put On Administrative Leave Following Hallway Brawl

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The principal of Brashear High School has been placed on administrative leave following a violent incident among students last week that sent one teen to the hospital.

Principal Kim Safran is on "non-disciplinary paid administrative leave pending a District review of last Friday's incident," a Pittsburgh Public Schools spokesperson said.

The disturbing fight captured on video last Friday shows a student throwing the 17-year-old victim to the ground and stomping on his head repeatedly. The alleged attacker is facing aggravated assault charges.

Cell phone video of the incident shows another student down on the ground in what appears to be a headlock by a teacher.

KDKA-TV spoke with Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President Nina Esposito-Visgitis. She believes violence from the streets is pouring into schools.

She would not add any comment on the district's decision on Safran. According to her, teachers tell her office that the fights are happening in schools because they know someone will stop them.

"They know they are surrounded by people who care about them and watch them very closely. It's a tight-knit community, and they know it will be stopped," Esposito-Visgitis said.

She said the district is sitting on upwards of $100 million in federal COVID-19 funding but hasn't done anything with the money since recommendation meetings in the fall. The district did not answer a request for comment.

Esposito-Visgitis feels some of that can address these situations.

"We have to provide the schools with the things that have been promised, including more resiliency support for our students and staff," she said.

The union president said this is a problem that everyone must help with. The district and teachers can only do so much.

"It takes more than the school district. The community has to be involved," Esposito-Visgitis said.

Some parents told KDKA that they are becoming nervous about sending their children to school. One mother said she crosses her fingers every time her child gets on the bus.

KDKA's requests for comment from the school board went unanswered.