WESTFIELD – Westfield High School students showed support for Principal Dennis Duquette Thursday morning following an announcement that he was on leave.
Superintendent Suzanne Scallion dispelled rumors yesterday that Duquette was escorted from the building Wednesday morning.
Rumors began circulating online that he was “escorted by two police officers” Wednesday morning. Several parents posted on social media that their children said he was escorted from the school, however, Scallion denied the claims.
“That is not true,” she said. “There was no police involvement.”
A Westfield Police Department official confirmed police were not involved, despite online and tweets stating that several students saw him leave the school with police.
Scallion said Duquette started the day at school, then left, and may or may not be absent tomorrow.
“I just don’t know,” said Scallion.
Scallion said she would “issue a statement after Thanksgiving, if not sooner” on the matter and said Duquette was currently “on leave.”
In the meantime, she said parents should be confident that their children are safe at school.
“Thank you for trusting us in keeping the best interest of our students at the forefront,” Scallion said.
Students and parents speculated that his leave was related to a gofundme account students started to raise money for Duquette’s dog, however, no one commented officially on the reason for Duquette’s sudden leave. Students began organizing a show of support Wednesday night via Twitter and staged a quiet walkout Thursday at 9 a.m., which was supported by several parents.
An automated call to WHS families from Duquette last night said he was “okay” and encouraged students to uphold the school values, which include respect and honesty.
