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Students protest firing of Cornerstone High School's principal following brutal fight that was caught on video

Posted at 5:07 PM, Dec 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-09 18:26:45-05

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A fight caught on cellphone video has caused a domino effect at Cornerstone High School in northwest Detroit.

The video shows two girls, ages 16 and 17, repeatedly punching a female school security officer last Tuesday evening.

Detroit police say the two girls were arrested. The officer did not appear to be seriously injured.

Then on Friday, parents were notified that Mr. Jared Davis, the school's principal, was abruptly let go. However, parents tell 7 Action News they’re not getting answers.

Several students staged a protest inside the school this morning. One parent was there and says students were peaceful, they made signs and were demanding to know what’s going on.

Students protest principal's removal

School officials will only confirm the principal is out. The students were peaceful inside the school, and officials are not providing any other information.

Shelly Richardson has had three kids who attend Cornerstone and says she fully supports Mr. Davis. She says Cornerstone used to have a family atmosphere, but several teachers have recently left.

She says she’s considering moving to another school.

Lessye Black is another parent who says the video is awful. The two students in it should be expelled, and the parents have a right to know what happened with Mr. Davis.

The school’s website says the charter school was established in 2012 and has an enrollment of 556 students in grades 9 through 12.

The school has released the following statement:

Our first priority is to protect the safety of our students and staff. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that endangers any member of our community. We cannot comment on specific personnel issues regarding our former principal or any other individuals, except to say that we are committed to taking swift action if and when our safety-critical protocols are not followed. We appreciate the passion our students and families have for our faculty and the Cornerstone community, but our first priority is keeping everyone in our buildings safe so that parents can send their students to Cornerstone with confidence and comfort.

The process is underway to expel the two students involved in the assault of the security officer.
Mindy Barry, CEO & President, Cornerstone Education Group