Valerie J. Reidy, the principal of the Bronx High School of Science, announced that she will be retiring at the end of the summer. The school’s track team is currently in the midst of a hazing investigation; however Reidy stated that this had nothing to do with her decision to retire.
Reidy has been principal of the New York City public school since 2001, and before that she had been teaching there for 23 years. In a report from the New York Times, Reidy said that she is not being pressured to retire. She said that her age - along with family and financial concerns - are the main reasons she is stepping down as principal.
In March, three juniors on the school’s track team were arrested for allegedly hazing underclassmen in the locker room. The news came as a shock to the school – one of the most prestigious public schools in New York City. The Bronx High School of Science has had more than a dozen graduates go on to win Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes.
The track team has won several borough championships, and was first in New York City in 2011. Three members of the team are now facing charges of forcible touching, assault, second-degree hazing and harassment after allegedly abusing and intimidating a freshman on the team.
The three students were 17-year-old Pier Berkmans, 16-year-old Thomas Brady and 16-year-old Boubacar Diallo. All three pleaded not guilty, and since they are being charged as adults, the cases are considered a matter of public record and can be seen by anyone – including college officials.
The team’s head coach and assistant coach were also suspended, along with the athletic director.
Despite the timing of her retirement, Reidy insists that the hazing incident did not persuade her decision.
“Was I happy about the track debacle? No. But is there ever going to be a perfect time?” Reidy told the New York Times.
The three cases are still pending, and Reidy went on to say that her supervisors told her that she handled the incident exactly right.
[Source: New York Times]