UPDATED: Sussex Central HS Principal Fired by Indian River School District
Over the weekend, Sussex Central High School principal, Dr. Bradley Layfield, was fired by the District School Board. Layfield’s attorney, Thomas Neuberger says that the notice came in written form on Saturday.
This incident began in May when the Indian River School District announced that ‘some staff’ had been placed on administrative leave. This, in part, has to do with a meme that was circulated after a student fight where a female student’s breast was briefly shown. Neuberger says that the exposure is not seen unless the video is looked at frame by frame, however Layfield is not charged with creating or circulating the meme in question. Neuberger adds the firing violated Layfield’s federal constitutional rights to due process and that the alleged reasons are vague, overbroad and undefined – and that Layfield plans to fight his firing at a public termination hearing.
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The Indian River School District released this comment after last week’s School Board Meeting:
“Given that Wednesday evening’s board actions concerned personnel matters, we must refrain from comment in respect of our employees’ privacy rights. The personnel agenda from the executive session described the capacity in which, and building where, the employees are assigned. Any action taken is protected from disclosure. If further information can be provided in the future, we will do so.”
In May, when this incident began, a criminal investigation was started which included the Delaware State Police, Delaware Department of Justice and the Indian River School District. When asked if there had been any outcome from this investigation, the DOJ’s reply was an emailed response “no comment.”
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And the Talk of Delmarva received the following statement from Emeka Igwe, Managing Partner of The Igwe Firm and one of the attorneys representing former Sussex Central High School student Aniya Harmon:
“Aniya Harmon and her family are pleased by the school board’s decision to terminate the employment of the individuals responsible for sharing video of her exposed breast at Sussex Central High School.
What happened to Ms. Harmon is outrageous and we will ensure that those responsible for violating her privacy are held accountable. It is reprehensible to think that those we entrust to protect our students would share something so intimate, particularly in a joking manner.
Ms. Harmon and her family would like to see criminal charges for those responsible as a way to deter this from happening to another student at Sussex Central High School, any school in Delaware or around the country.”
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Dr. Layfield’s attorney, Tom Neuberger will be on the air with the Talk of Delmarva’s Mike Bradley at 8:40 Tuesday morning.
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