PEORIA, Ariz. — Students at Centennial High School walked out Wednesday morning in support of their former principal.
Sky 12 was overhead as dozens of students walked out of their first class of the day. They held signs in support of Bill Sorensen, the former principal of Centennial High School.
In Sorensen's resignation letter released by Peoria Unified School District, Sorensen said he is stepping down for personal reasons.
"I am so grateful to the Centennial Community and will forever cherish the love they showed me. At this time I need to prioritize the ability to provide for my children in the short and long term. Unfortunately, resigning is the best way for me to do that," Sorensen said in the letter.
According to a spokesperson for the district, Sorensen was placed on leave January 30 and resigned February 11.
Sorensen said in his resignation letter that he would resign effective June 30.
The spokesperson for the district said they cannot share the reason Sorensen was placed on leave, citing it as a personnel matter. But they did say it was not criminal in nature.
In a letter to parents, the school district's chief academic support officer, Kendra Bell, said Scott Hollabaugh would serve as interim principal for the rest of the school year, with assistant principals Pete Jelovic and Brandi Steele leading alongside him.
Hollabaugh sent a letter to students' families to inform them about the walkout. Read the full letter below:
"Dear Centennial Parents & Guardians,
As you likely know, this morning some of our students and parents chose to stand outside of our campus to express themselves as a result of our recent leadership change. While our preference is always that students are in classrooms learning, please know that we have the utmost respect for their voice and the fact that they took a stand for something for which they are passionate. Our district and site administration heard them and provided support to keep the area safe.
In case you are not sure if your child missed first or second hour, please be sure to have a conversation with them and call them out through the attendance line accordingly.
I am committed to making student voice the center of what makes Centennial such a great place to learn. Please know that my door is always open for students, staff and our community to provide feedback for the collective best interest of our school.
We look forward to getting back to our regular day of learning tomorrow. Thank you for your ongoing support of Centennial High School!"
Sorensen released a lengthy statement on Twitter on Friday, saying in part that he hopes "people do not view my resignation as an admission of guilt."
"The environment in (Peoria Unified School District) was untenable and I prioritized my ability to care for my children in the short and long term.
"During this time of deep reflection I can say that without a doubt, I did my very best work every day to serve my Centennial community.
"To the amazing Coyotes who are leading this most recent effort - you will be the future leaders of our world and I have faith that our future is bright because of people like you. Please understand that your words and actions are not lost. I know the CeHS Community is hurt, so am I, but we all must heal and forgive from a place of love and empathy. Please, let's move forward with positive energy and focus on your path toward postsecondary success."
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