15 months after Parkland shooting, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School principal resigns
The principal of a Parkland school in Florida where 17 people were shot dead last year announced his resignation on Friday. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School principal Ty Thompson said his decision to resign was influenced by health and family.
Thompson was the principal in February 2018 when a former student of the school, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire on the premises resulting in the loss of 17 lives.
Following the shooting, Thompson was added to the school district investigation in March, and his responsibilities were handed over to other administrators. Three assistant principals from the school were also transferred out while the district continued to investigate their roles in the Parkland shooting.
According to a report in CNN, the principal said, "Many have asked over the last 15 months: How I'm able to stay so strong. It's been challenging, but I always remained as positive as possible and did what I felt was in the best interest of the students and staff. Advisors and fellow colleagues always said take care of yourself. If at any point you feel like it is affecting your family or your health you need to make a change. That time has come. I wanted to stay and see this through but I just can't continue at this pace."
Thompson also promised that he will be attending the graduation ceremony. "This is not goodbye, you will still see me around. While I will no longer be the leader at MSD, I will continue to support the Eagle Nation, as I will always be positive, passionate, and forever proud to be an Eagle," he said.
The principal was not on campus when the incident occurred and the state panel investigating the shooting criticized Thompson in December for not being informed on how his administration handled student threats.
The students of the school gathered three months ago on the shooting's anniversary to pay respect to the victims and bring together the survivors and help everyone move forward.