DPS, on Tuesday afternoon Oct. 20 posted a letter on the Northfield High School website that Principal Avi Tropper has resigned. DPS had conducted an almost two-week investigation following an incident involving a student and a security guard at the school. Their investigation concluded that there were multiple instances over the last two months at Northfield where there was inappropriate use of force, inappropriate escalation of relatively minor incidents, inappropriate supervision of security personnel, stated intention to use suspension as a tool to force at least one student out of school, and inappropriate behavior towards parents raising concerns. “When we presented those findings to Principal Tropper, he chose to resign in lieu of termination,” said Chief Academic Officer Susanna Cordova.
Before school started this fall, then-Principal Avi Tropper talks to students at the new campus.
DPS will name an experienced interim principal “shortly” to serve for the remainder of the 2015-16 school year. In the coming weeks DPS will post a timeline for the hiring process for a new principal that will include community participation. The permanent principal will take the position for the 2016-17 school year.
Cordova says DPS is committed to the vision already established for an inclusive diverse school. She says the interim principal will be “Someone who is committed to the vision, who has experience as a principal, who can work with the teachers, the students, as well as their families on bringing the community together to move forward.”
Cordova says DPS will look at possible additional supports for NHS as a start-up school. As an example, to assist the leadership team, she says DPS might place an additional assistant principal at the school to help support the teachers and students.
Click here to view the letter NHS sent to parents.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
