One more week for completion of probe into St James High students’ expulsion

WESTERN BUREAU:

ST JAMES HIGH School’s board of management has indicated that it may take another week before its personnel committee will complete its ongoing investigation into accusations that the school’s principal, Joseph Williams, expelled two female students in January this year without following due process.

The two girls, ages 15 and 16, were reportedly expelled on January 16 after a two-second WhatsApp status video surfaced in which they were seen kissing each other.

In a brief update on Wednesday, board chairman Christopher McCurdy told The Gleaner that the probe, which was previously expected to be finished over this past week, will require additional time and work to complete.

“There is no update as yet; the investigation continues, and I think it is going to run into next week. Remember that when you are doing an investigation, you have no idea what direction it is going to take you,” said McCurdy.

“You sometimes estimate a day or two and then it runs into a week; you never know. We have additional work to do, and we will continue to do that,” McCurdy added.

Efforts to contact Williams for a comment on the ongoing situation were unsuccessful, as he was said to be out of office.

Last Thursday, April 25, the board of St James High School appointed its personnel committee to investigate the claims made against Williams by the relatives of the two girls, who accused him of being heavy-handed in banishing them from the school on January 16.

The probe was sparked by an initial report into the alleged incident which was reported in The Sunday Gleaner’s April 21 edition.

Williams was accused of not providing proper documentation or other assistance for the two students to be removed from the school or providing counselling for them, and of expelling them without notifying the school board of the situation.

According to Section 28.1 of the Education Regulations of 1980, a student may be transferred from one public school to another where space is available; where there has been consultation between the principals; and where the minister of education has given approval in writing, where necessary.

Section 29.3 says that where a student has breached school rules and the misconduct continues after normal disciplinary actions and counselling, the matter may be referred by the principal to the students’ council for study and recommendation.

Meanwhile, Section 30.7 stipulates that, except in special cases, a student shall only be suspended or excluded after other efforts have been made to secure an improvement in the student’s conduct.

In the meantime, the mother of the 16-year-old girl, who has since been enrolled at a private institution, stated that she is in a wait-and-see mode regarding the outcome of the probe.

“I don’t know what is happening as yet, as I was only told by the chairman [McCurdy] that the committee is going to meet again, so I am just waiting for that,” said the mother, who had previously called for Williams to either change his administrative style or be removed from his post.

Regarding the other girl, it is understood that she is currently still at home, having not been enrolled at another school since her expulsion.

Advocacy group Jamaicans for Justice, which has condemned the slow pace of the school’s administration and the Ministry of Education in resolving the issue, has reportedly reached out to both families in ongoing efforts to provide assistance.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com