West High students, parents demanding answers following principal’s suspension

West High School students, parents and alums are ardently speaking out about the Salt Lake City School District’s recent decision to place the school’s principal on administrative leave.

And they are demanding answers.

On Friday, nearly 200 students at West High participated in a walkout to protest the district’s actions to remove principal Jared Wright from his duties at the school.

And more than 1,200 signatures and dozens of comments have been collected in an online petition over the past two days.

“As parents of students, current students, alumni and concerned community members of West High School, we are calling for the Salt Lake School District to reinstate Dr. Jared Wright as the principal of West High School,” the petition states.

“As of Monday, Jan. 13th, Dr. Wright was placed on leave. Typical of the Salt Lake City School District, they did not notify the parents or give the community a reason why. They have not stated whether it was voluntary or mandatory, permanent or temporary.”

Meanwhile, West High students who participated in Friday’s walkout hope to see Wright return to his position soon.

“I want to see him back at this school,” student Emmett Black told KSL NewsRadio. “I want to be able to get my diploma from him when I walk at graduation.”

Catherine Garff, a West High parent who initiated the online petition, is frustrated with what she calls a lack of information being provided regarding the district’s actions against Wright.

“(Wright) is a phenomenal administrator. He listens to parents, and he tries to advocate for students, whether that aligns with what the district wants or not,” she told KSL NewsRadio.

West High School assistant principal Wayne Culley is now serving as acting principal at the school.

How is the district responding?

The district’s choice to place Wright on leave is happening about a month after a group of West High School faculty and staff members rallied outside the school to call for increased security following a Nov. 7 shooting of a 15-year-old boy in the school’s parking lot.

The December rally was designed to keep school safety improvement discussions at the forefront, while ensuring a safe learning environment for all at West High School.

But the two issues — school safety and Wright’s suspension — are not connected, according to a statement released by the Salt Lake City School District:

“We have heard speculation that Dr. Jared Wright’s leave is related to the concerns he and others have shared related to school safety at West High. While we cannot discuss details surrounding personnel matters, we want to dispel any misinformation related to this topic and state clearly that the two are unrelated.

“We take the safety of our West High School community — and of all our school communities — very seriously. We are fully in support of our employees bringing forward their safety concerns, as we all share the same goal of having our students and employees learn and work in the safest environments possible.

“The district continues to work alongside the West High School administration and staff to address the safety concerns that have been raised.”

The district’s statement did not offer details on the decision to place Wright on leave.

“In handling personnel matters, we are required not only by our board policies but also by state and federal laws to provide every employee with due process and to protect the integrity of those processes.

“Further discussion of the reasons behind Dr. Wright’s leave would be inappropriate. For additional information regarding the reasons for which we cannot comment further, please visit our website,” the district’s statement reads.

KSLTV reported that a district spokesperson was not able to elaborate on whether Wright’s leave is temporary or permanent — but did confirm there is no crime involved.

Rallying support for Wright

The online petition encourages people to reach out to members of the Salt Lake City School District’s Board of Education and district superintendent Elizabeth Grant, posting contact information.

The site is quickly filling with messages of support from many in the West High School community.

“I’m a West High student, everyone is wondering what happened to our principal,” read one post. “We want him to come back, I signed this petition to show my support for him. Bring him back!”

Added another: “In the decades I’ve been involved in this district, as a student, a parent, a volunteer and an employee, I can say that Dr Jared Wright is one of the very best administrators Salt Lake District has ever had.”

Wright’s suspension comes about five years after a previous West High School principal, Ford White, was fired after he reportedly drove students home after he found them drinking on campus.

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