A California school superintendent has been fired just days after the district was ordered to pay a $27 million settlement to the family of a 13-year-old boy who died following a bully attack at his high school.
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted 3-2 last Tuesday to remove Dr. Martinrex Kedziora following a three-hour closed-door meeting, KTLA 5 reported.
Kedziora, who had served the district since 2017, was fired less than a week after the board agreed to pay a settlement to the family of Diego Stolz, who died after being attacked by a classmate in 2019.
The eighth-grader’s aunt and uncle, his legal guardians, said school officials were aware of the bullying Diego was experiencing, but did nothing to stop him even after assurances that the issue would be resolved.
A grieving family claims the bully was never suspended, allowing the fatal attack to take place at Landmark High School in September 2019.
Dr. Martinrex Kedziora was removed from the Moreno Valley Unified School District last week. Moreno Valley Unified School District/YouTube
The educator was fired in a 3-2 vote less than a week after the district agreed to pay a $27 million settlement to the family of 13-year-old Diego Stolz.
A graphic video was taken of Diego being attacked by one of the teenagers, who punched him in the face.
After the strike, Diego was seen backing away before a second student nailed him in the back of the head, causing the 13-year-old to fall and hit his head on a post.
The blow left Diego with a traumatic brain injury, and he died just nine days later.
Despite pleading guilty to the manslaughter charge, the bully only served 47 days in juvenile hall.
The video captured Diego being attacked and hitting his head on a pole, causing him to suffer traumatic brain damage that led to his death. ABC 7
Students at Landmark High School held a vigil for their classmates who died in 2020. AP
The incident shocked the community, with Yerenia Barrera’s parents cheering the removal of Kedziora, whom she accused of being out of hand when it comes to bullying in the district.
“He leaves everything to the teacher to do all the work and all the cleaning and all he does is go to shows or presentations,” Barrera, who said she has tried to talk to him about his own son’s bullying issues, told KTLA.
While some celebrated Kedziora’s dismissal, others claimed he had been wrongly blamed for the district’s overall failure.
The attack took place at Landmark High School in September 2019. Google Maps
“He’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met,” Kristina Horta’s parents told a local outlet. “He’s a champion for public education, a champion for parent involvement.”
The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education and Kedziora could not immediately be reached for comment. The district said it would not comment on the settlement.
The district has appointed an interim superintendent until a replacement for Kedziora can be found.
Along with Kedziora being let go, Landmark High School replaced principal Scott Walker just six weeks after Diego’s death.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
