The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE PRINCIPAL of the Jack Hayward High school was briefly hospitalized on Tuesday after being attacked by a parent, The Tribune understands.

According to reports, the teacher got into an argument with a mother in her office, which resulted in her being “slapped” and  then attacked by the angry woman.

Education Director Lionel Sands said the argument took place Tuesday afternoon and the principal has since pressed charges.

Speaking with The Tribune, Bahamas Union of Teachers president, Belinda Wilson, wanted to know where the police or security guards were and how they could have allowed the principal to be attacked.

“We know that the principal was attacked and our agents on the ground have been in contact with her. We know that she was hit by a parent and we wonder how there was so many police here in Nassau to stop us from getting into Anatol Rodgers for a meeting, but no one stopped this woman from attacking the principal. What happened at Jack Hayward is a disgrace,” she said.

“We know she has filed a complaint and we are 100 per cent in support of her and we hope and will see to it that that parent is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

In defence of the security at Jack Hayward High, Mr Sands said when the parent came onto the campus she was calm and security had no idea of what she intended to do.

“That is a funny situation,” he said, “anything like that can happen. Someone can come and appear to be calm and so there is no cause for police or security to stop them, especially if they come on the campus for legitimate business, which they believe she did. Obviously something changed when she got onto the campus, they didn’t think she came with ill intentions and obviously they did not know what went on in the office. Even the principal did not feel threatened because she entertained a meeting with this woman.”

Mr Sands said the matter has now been turned over to the police.