Christopher Peak Photo
New Amistad Principal Simon Obas.
Amistad High School’s principal has placed two staffers on administrative leave pending an investigation based on complaints from students about inappropriate behavior, and two other staffers for allegedly failing to report the complaints.
The principal, Simon Obas, informed his employees of the action at an all-staff meeting Wednesday.
Obas told the staffers that two female students had reported that two staff members, one of whom works in a supervisory position, had acted inappropriately toward them. The complaints apparently included inappropriate conversations. Obas said the students told two other staff members about the incidents, but those staff members did not in turn report their stories to school officials, as required by school policy.
Obas — who took the reins of the Dixwell Avenue charter school this academic year with a commitment to enforcing high standards of staff conduct toward students — learned about the complaints through a parent.
He promptly suspended the two accused staffers on Tuesday, and then, on Wednesday, the two other staffers who allegedly failed to report the incidents.
Obas asked those present at Wednesday’s all-staff meeting not to share this information with other people.
Achievement First later released a statement to the Independent quoting Obas as saying: “In my role as principal of AF Amistad High, it is my job to prioritize the safety of our students above all else, and we are committed to ensuring that we hold those entrusted with educating our students to the highest possible standard. We are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation to determine appropriate next steps.”