The embattled Principal of St. James High, Joseph Williams, has broken his silence.
He’s dismissing claims that the female students who were seen kissing in a short video were expelled from the institution.
Mr. Williams finally spoke after several days of backlash for his handling of the matter after one mother told the media that her child was expelled without due process.
Shaloy Smikle has the story.
The girls were reportedly expelled in January after a two-second video of them kissing was posted on one of the girls’ WhatsApp status.
The video was reportedly shared with Principal Williams. He told their mothers to find another school for them as there was no longer a place for them at St. James High School.
The mother of one of the girls, a 16-year old, told Nationwide News that she’d been facing difficulties enrolling her child in another school, due to a lack of support and documentation from Mr. Williams and the Ministry of Education’s Regional Office.
The child was placed in a private institution on April 15. Three months later. Only after the matter was blown up in the media.
The expulsion of the girls has since triggered a formal investigation by the Ministry of Education and the Board of St. James High School.
Several stakeholders, including Jamaicans for Justice, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, and the LGBTQ-plus rights organization, Equality for All Foundation, have also spoken out against the expulsion of the girls.
But Mr. Williams is painting a different picture.
In an interview with Nationwide News on Monday, Mr. Williams said the girls in question were never formally disciplined over the incident.
He insists that the girls had not been expelled.
Instead, he says the idea of a transfer came out of an abundance of caution to protect the girls from being taunted at school.
The mother, who spoke to the media, initially explained that there was no formal documentation from the principal to help find another school.
But Mr. Williams is also denying this claim.
The matter is still being investigated by the board of St. James High.
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