Investigation into expulsion of students from St James High to take another week

The personnel committee of St James High School's board of management is expected to take another week to provide the result of its investigation into reports that the school's principal, Joseph Williams, expelled two female students in January without following due process.

The two girls, ages 15 and 16, are said to have been expelled after appearing in a two-second video kissing each other.

In a brief update this morning, St James High School board chairman, Christopher McCurdy, told The Gleaner that the personnel committee, to whom the board appointed the task of investigating the claims, is still carrying out its probe.

“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.

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

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.

It is understood that the 15-year-old student has not been enrolled in any other school since that time, while the 16-year-old has been accepted at a private institution.

- Christopher Thomas

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