A white principal at a private school in New York resigned after being accused of sending an 11-year-old black student to his knees while apologizing and then described the practice as “the African way”.
After reports of the incident last week, the Marianist school St. Martin de Porres in Uniondale, Long Island, New York, sent a letter to parents saying that Principal John Holian was on leave while the school was investigating the incident.
But in a statement on Wednesday, school officials said Holian had resigned.
“The Marianist School St. Martin de Porres has accepted the resignation of our former principal,” the statement said. “The direction of the Marianist School St. Martin de Porres continues to review the incident in question to ensure that it never recurs in any form.”
“It is important to assure students, parents and teachers that this incident does not reflect our value for respecting the long-established individual or the protocols established in relation to student-related issues.”
Trisha Paul told NBC News on Monday that her son, Trayson, 11, and his other son started attending Marianist St. Martin de Porres earlier this school year.
At the end of last month, when Trayson, an honorary student, finished one assignment earlier and moved on to another, he was reprimanded for not following instructions, his mother said.
He ended up with his professor in the office of Principal John Holian, who instructed Trayson to kneel while apologizing to his professor for his mistake, Paul said.
She approached Holian twice about the practice. He told her that he had learned the disciplinary method from a Nigerian father at school, who told him it was the “African way” to apologize, Paul said.
“As soon as he mentioned the story, I realized that maybe he’s generalizing because my son is black and maybe that’s what he thought the discipline should have been for that behavior, because, simply because my son was black,” Paul told NBC New York. Her son is Haitian-American, she said.
Her son was deeply affected by the incident, she added.
“He’s been completely quiet, not himself, just trying to absorb everything,” said Paul. “Most of the time, he doesn’t want to discuss it. His interactions with family, relatives, friends, anyone around him have changed,” said Paul, adding that she will send Trayson for therapy.
Paul took her children out of face-to-face classes at school and hired a lawyer. She said she is not sure if she will re-enroll her children at the Marianist St. Martin de Porres next school year.
The Marianist School St. Martin de Porres said in its statement that Shawn Lisa Torres, a licensed clinical social worker, certified school administrator, whose children attend school, will enter as a principal.
