Parents call for removal of Coney Island school principal, cite lack of action into bullying incidents
Parents say people have been complaining for over a decade, and there is no better way to resolve the issues than firing the principal.
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Parents flooded the streets of Coney Island Friday demanding that P.S. 90's principal be fired because they said she has not taken action into bullying incidents.
Some say the bullying and constant physical accidents at the school need to end.
"I want the principal removed because she doesn't care about these children," said parent Sofia Reyes.
Parents like Reyes said her voice needs to be heard. With support from other current and former parents, they rallied next door to the school. They said many students have been bullied and injured at the school and when they call on the principal to help nothing gets done.
"My son supposedly had an accident, but this doesn't seem like an accident you know," Reyes said.
Reyes said when her son was in the fifth grade, he came home with an eye that was black and blue and swollen. She only found out about the incident when she went home and saw her son's face.
"They never told me, the principal never told me, never bothered to reach out to me or give me an explanation," Reyes said.
She is not the only parent who has experienced something like this and now the group is calling on the Department of Education to remove the current principal, Greta Hawkins. They say people have been complaining for over a decade and there is no better way to resolve the issues than firing her.
"It's sad because by this time the DOE should've already taken this serious and they should've been investigated long enough to know that this is something that should've been nipped in the butt," said parent Luz Lozada.
A union representative for P.S. 90 showed up to support the parents. Although she wants to remain anonymous, she said this has gone too far.
Over 900 people have signed a petition to fire Hawkins, saying this school needs a change.
Jeanny Hernandez went to this school years ago and said nothing feels worse than a failed school system.
"The DOE must step in and investigate, and the children and the parents deserve a new leadership, meaning Hawkins should resign," She said.
News 12 reached out to the Department of Education for a statement on the matter and they said they needed more time, which is something the parents said is unacceptable.
"They are tired of this. They want the principal to be removed," Reyes said.
The parents also said they understand things happen in school, but they just want to make sure their children are safe and protected.
