Headmaster Resigns Amid Protests Over Making Black Student Kneel, Apologize ‘The African Way’

Protests sparked anger between protestors and counter-protestors Wednesday afternoon in front of a Long Island Catholic school amid allegations of racist actions from the school’s headmaster.

Protestors gathered in front of St. Martin de Porres School on Hempstead Boulevard late Wednesday afternoon after an incident occurred in a classroom about a month prior. Trisha Paul went to local news outlets after her son was forced to kneel and apologize to a teacher “the African way.” Trisha Paul says that her son was doing his work in advance during class instead of reading text from a book because he had previously read it. When the teacher confronted her son, the work was ripped up in front of him.

The former headmaster, who has since resigned his position according to a statement from St. Martin de Porres School, made the black student kneel and apologize to the white teacher in what he stated was “the African way.”

Protestors rallied in support of the Paul family to ensure that nothing similar occurs again in the school. Heated debates were seen between those in defense of the former headmaster and those opposing him. One counter-protestor was spotted emotionally defending the headmaster while crying and clutching a cross.

Nassau County Police mediated the protest and kept both sides separate to ensure a peaceful protest.

Jada Gillenwater, a community activist and rallying voice behind today’s protest stated in an interview, “…I am committed to seeing change in a culture. I realize that one person does not represent nor speak for the entire school, but it would be my hope that the policies moving forward would be changed to make sure that this never happens to any other child and that no other child feels the humiliation that this young boy had to feel…”

Gillenwater also went on to urge the administrators of the school to act further by saying, “…There is never a right time to do what is right.”

With the headmaster who has officially resigned from St. Martin de Porres School, protestors are calling for the resignation or discipline for the actions of the teacher also.