Fresno middle school principal placed on leave
Action comes after video shows educator saying he doesn’t ‘like the black kids.’
A vice principal at a Fresno middle school has been placed on leave after he was filmed saying he doesn’t “like the black kids.”
The 18-second video shows Joe DiFilippo, who has worked at Scandinavian Middle School for nearly five years, leaning against a pole next to a student outside the cafeteria.
After reviewing the video, the Fresno Unified School District placed DiFilippo on paid administrative leave last week, district spokesman Jedidiah Chernabaeff said. DiFilippo has been working for the district for 18 years.
Meanwhile, the district has hired an outside agency to investigate the vice principal’s comments.
“What is depicted in the 18-second video clip is disappointing and doesn’t meet our expectations,” the district said in a statement. “This is a very serious matter that is currently under investigation.”
A relative of the student, who filmed DiFilippo a couple of weeks ago, posted the video and its comments to YouTube on March 13 under the heading “Scandinavian Vice Principal caught on camera by my nephew talking to black students and telling them he does not like black kids.”
District officials were made aware of the video that day after a parent tipped off administrators at the middle school, he said.
“Fresno Unified is among the most diverse school districts in the nation and takes great pride in celebrating its diversity while providing a positive learning environment for all students and staff,” the district said.
The campus is one of 17 middle schools in the district.
‘What is depicted in the 18-second video clip is disappointing and doesn’t meet our expectations. This is a very serious matter that is currently under investigation.’ — Fresno Unified School District, in a statement
Scandinavian Middle School has 755 students, of whom 84 are black.
DiFilippo’s comment has caused an uproar in the community, according to the Fresno Bee.
Former students and parents gathered last week outside the campus to express their concerns about DiFilippo.