Parents Attack, Punch Elementary School Principal During Family Fun Day, Police Say
Parents of a student at the Robert B. Pollock Elementary School flew into a rage and assaulted the principal and vice principal during a “family fun day.” The parents were reportedly provoked when they were told by the school that they would need to sign their child out of the school at the office before leaving with them. However, the parents attempted to remove their son from school property without checking in with the school’s office. The vice principal, realizing what was happening, attempted to stop the parents from removing the child without following protocol.
This led to a confrontation, during which Nicole Myers, the mother, punched the vice principal multiple times. First in the shoulder, later in the arms. Then, the child’s father, Louis Kennedy, punched the principal in the head five to six times, according to Penn Live. The vice principal regained control of the situation and attempted to separate the father from the principal. The parents then took off from the scene in a green sedan.
Neither the principal nor the vice principal required medical attention at the hospital, but the two suffered bruises and cuts.
Philadelphia Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum said that “They were both assaulted by the parents today. This all happened with the kids around,” detailed 6 ABC.
While the mother has been brought into custody and is facing charges, including aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy, police have yet to find the father, reported CBS News.
Parents attack elementary school principal at family fun day https://t.co/0yFT8DBVc3 pic.twitter.com/NSwxOGTziF
— New York Post (@nypost) June 9, 2018
The School District of Philadelphia released a statement regarding the incident.
“The School District of Philadelphia is committed to the safety and welfare of its students and staff. The assault on two respected administrators is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated. Parents are our primary partners in the education of their children and that is why we work to ensure their respectful engagement in schools. While we can have differences, physical assaults will not be allowed. We are actively pursuing these instances with public safety authorities and fully cooperating with the investigations.”
Just a few weeks ago, parents of the elementary school staged a protest against the administration, calling for the principal to step down from their post. The protest was triggered when parents found out that a stack of iPads donated to the school to be used by autistic kids was left unused in a closet. The principal said that the iPads were not needed, while the district cited technical issues with the iPads.
