Ransome, who, according to records, has worked for the system since 1999, is finishing her first year as a principal with a salary of $100,000. She declined multiple requests for interviews, most recently Friday at the Southeast D.C. school, when she referred a reporter to the school system’s press office.
Acting D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said she expects the findings of the investigation by the end of the week, when she is scheduled to complete decisions on which principals will be retained in the 2011-12 academic year.
The first alleged incident took place March 31, according to Safiya Simmons, Henderson’s spokeswoman. School officials won’t discuss the details. But Charmaine Jackson, the mother of the student involved, said in an interview that it began when Ransome attempted to confiscate a cellphone from her daughter Jaimy, a sixth-grader at Johnson.
By her daughter’s account, Jackson said, Ransome was summoned after the girl refused requests by a teacher to relinquish the phone. When Jaimy continued to refuse and tried to leave the classroom, Jackson said, Ransome grabbed her by the arm and pushed her against a board at the front of the room. As Jaimy tried to pull away, Jackson said, Ransome grabbed the girl by her hair. Jaimy then grabbed Ransome by the hair, Jackson said, and Ransome punched her under the left eye.
Jackson, who said she gave the phone to her daughter for safety purposes, said she received a brief, frantic voice message from Jaimy in the late morning saying, “Mommy, mommy my principal punched me in the face.” The phone then went dead, she said.
“The sound of her voice put goose bumps on my arm,” said Jackson.
Ransome was placed on administrative leave for four days pending the police investigation, according to Frederick Lewis, a school system spokesman. Police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said the case was presented to the office of D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan, which declined to prosecute. The matter was turned over to D.C. schools. Meanwhile, Ransome returned to her duties at Johnson.
Ariel Waldman, a senior counsel for Nathan, declined to discuss the case.
Jaimy is now attending CHOICE Academy, a special D.C. public school for students on long-term suspension.
Jackson said she is unhappy with the police investigation and plans to file a complaint with the U.S. attorney’s office. “To my understanding, they [the police] said they couldn’t find out who was at fault,” she said. “They had teachers and students for witnesses. At the end of the day, this is a grown woman attacking a child because she won’t give up a cellphone.”
Loading...
Comments