SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A security monitor at Riverview High School has been fired after he was involved in a physical fight with a student on Thursday, according to the school district.
Officials say Kenneth Howard's firing was due to a "physical altercation" involving a student. The district said on Thursday that a video of the incident has been reviewed, but did not elaborate on what happened.
Howard was placed on administrative leave Thursday after the altercation. He started working with the district on August 12. He was still within a six-month probationary period for new hires when the fight happened, officials say.
“It is never easy to dismiss a staff member who is liked by their peers,” noted Todd Bowden, superintendent of Sarasota County Schools. “In the case of Mr. Howard, his behavior and actions were terribly inappropriate and not at all aligned with the responsibilities of a District employee. As educators, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, and Mr. Howard’s actions were not up to the standards of our school district.”
The school district says the investigation is ongoing and because of that, they say no additional information is available at this time.
Bowden released this statement on Thursday.
Earlier today an altercation took place at Riverview High School involving a student and staff member. A video of this altercation exists that I have reviewed. In addition, I have received reports from our interim Chief Operations Officer and Chief of Police regarding the preliminary investigation that took place by our police department. As an educator, I am deeply concerned about what transpired and have asked the police department to conclude their final investigation as quickly as possible. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is vitally important to all that we do and this incident needs to be investigated and resolved immediately.
The Department of Children and Families is aware of the altercation, according to the district.
