Tipsheet

Marjory Stoneman Administrators Reassigned After Safety Report, Some Teachers Want Them Back

UPDATE: Marjory Stoneman Douglas students have reportedly begun to walk out of their classes. Students like Cameron Kasky are asking them to reconsider.

ORIGINAL POST

The Broward County school district has decided to reassign three assistant principals and a security specialist at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after the Public Safety Commission investigation found those individuals did not act early enough to prevent last February's shooting. Last Valentine's Day, a gunman, Nikolas Cruz, shot and killed 17 people.

A report found that the staffers, Assistant principals Jeff Morford, Winfred Porter and Denise Reed, and security specialist Kelvin Greenleaf, had failed to properly assess the dangers or communicate while the shooting began. They were reportedly warned about Cruz's behavior months before his rampage. 

But, some teachers and students want those reassigned administrators back. A group of MSD staff members penned the following note urging Superintendent Robert Runcie to "reconsider" his decision. 

"Removing an integral part of our administrative staff disrupts not only daily operations but the well-being of students and staff," they wrote. "This action does more to hurt the healing and continued education of our students."

"After hearing today's news, the feeling in the room was one of devastations and the need to have our voices heard," they continued.

Lisa Maxwell, executive director of the Broward Principals’ and Assistants’ Association, said the school district's decision was "despicable."

“This is a massive betrayal of confidence, of trust. These people did nothing wrong. There is no evidence that they did, that they violated any policy,” she said. “The evidence actually shows that they put their own lives at risk that day, and that they saved kids. This is beyond despicable.”

Kyle Kashuv, a conservative MSD student who has not been shy about his feelings regarding his school's response to the shooting, is shocked that his teachers and classmates are still defending the removed administrators.

Kashuv went to bed angry knowing that this teachers don't want them to be held accountable.