Woodland Hills residents demand firings of principal, resource officer
For the second time in six months, a crowd of protesters greeted the Woodland Hills school board before its monthly legislative meeting Wednesday and demanded answers regarding the status of an employee accused of harming a student.
Dozens of people packed the meeting, demanding that the district fire the high school principal and a school resource officer who were involved in separate incidents involving alleged violence or threats of violence against students.
“These children are being charged when they are being assaulted,” said Brandi Fisher, founder of the Alliance for Police Accountability and an organizer of a rally held outside the district’s administration building. “How can you explain that to a child?”
High school principal Kevin Murray was on paid leave for about a month last year, after an audio recording surfaced of him purportedly threatening to hit a student. He was reinstated in
January and was not charged with a crime.
Earlier this month, a second student accused school resource Officer Scott Shaulis, a Churchill police officer, of punching him so hard that his tooth had to be sewn back into his mouth. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office is investigating whether he used excessive force.
The student involved in last year’s incident, whose name was not released, was charged with violating wiretapping laws and sentenced to probation. Queshawn Wade, the 14year-old who accused Officer Shaulis, also was charged, although details of those charges were not available because he is a juvenile.
“They look at them as adversaries instead of children that need to be taught,” said Dorothy Lepore, whose five children attend Woodland Hills schools.
The crowd, which numbered about 100, was at times agitated and booed loudly when outgoing head football coach George Novak spoke in support of Mr. Murray, who the board appointed as the new coach.
“He loves the kids and that’s what’s most important to him,” Mr. Novak said.
The group protested again when the board voted on Mr. Murray’s appointment before the public comment period at the end of the meeting.
Resident Summer Lee acknowledged that the board may have felt “ambushed,” but still urged members to consider how to best reach out to and include the community as well as keep students safe.
“I can’t understand how a district expects to operate effectively if they aren’t encouraging the parents and the community to participate,” she said.