Wake assistant principal reassigned following video showing him restraining student
The Wake County school system has reassigned a high school assistant principal who was shown on video apparently placing a knee on a student’s neck while breaking up a fight.
Jonathan Chang was suspended with pay for three months from his position as an assistant principal at Panther Creek High School in Cary before being reassigned this month to a central office position, according to Lisa Luten, a district spokeswoman.
Hart Miles, Chang’s attorney, said in an interview with The News & Observer on Wednesday that his client actually placed his knee on the student’s upper back and not on his neck. Miles also said that Chang, who has worked at Panther Creek since 2006, didn’t want to leave.
“He loves Panther Creek,” Miles said. “He has invested a substantial portion of his career in making that school the great school that it is. That’s what so disappointing and tragic here that the school loses a very, very valuable team member.”
The school district disputed Chang’s account of the incident and noted that he will no longer be supervising students in his new position.
“The school district completed a full and fair confidential personnel investigation and has taken appropriate action,” the district said in a statement Wednesday. “While we disagree with Mr. Chang’s attorney’s characterization of our findings related to Mr. Chang’s physical interaction with the student, personnel laws do not permit releasing the details of the review.
“As to the public information pertaining to this matter, the assistant principal has been reassigned to a coordinating teacher position based in central office. This position focuses on teacher support and does not directly include the supervision of students.”
‘Actions that are deeply concerning’
On Dec. 7, Chang responded to an altercation between two students during lunch. In a Dec. 9 letter to families, Greg Decker, the school’s principal, said video recorded by students and school security cameras “appears to depict a staff member restraining a student by placing a knee on the student’s neck.”
“The video appears to depict actions that are deeply concerning,” Decker told families.
The reality though, according to Miles, is that Chang helped defuse a potentially dangerous situation of a student refusing to follow a police officer’s lawful commands.
Miles said that the school resource officer asked Chang to help him separate the two fighting students. The student pushed Chang aside to go to the location where the officer was with the other student, according to Miles.
Miles said the student then shoved the officer twice in order to get to the other student. When the officer decided to put the student into custody, Miles said the teen resisted. This led to the officer and student wrestling on the ground.
What his attorney said
Chang had chased after the student and helped bring him to the ground after the teenager had lurched away from the officer, according to Miles. Chang placed his knee on the student’s upper back for less than 30 seconds, according to Miles.
“I don’t think any of the evidence could conclusively dispute Mr. Chang’s statement that his knee wasn’t on the student’s neck,” Miles said.
The student soon calmed down and was apologetic for his actions.
“Mr. Chang’s participation was very brief, but it was to assist placing the student into custody,” Miles said.
Miles said a brick partition partially obstructed the view of the video to make it look like Chang’s knee was on the student’s neck. He points to how the officer and another faculty member shown in the video didn’t tell Chang he’s doing anything wrong.
“He certainly recognizes that the internet video, from the angle it was shot, it looked bad, especially in light of the chases that have been in the public eye involving excessive force with police officers,” Miles said. “But clearly after a full investigation, there was no determination that the officer used excessive force and in the criminal investigation and there were no charges against Mr. Chang.”
No charges filed
Both the Cary Police Department and the Wake County school system’s Human Resource Department investigated.
“The investigation is complete,” said Lt. John Reeves, with the Cary Police Department. “We do not have any criminal charges pending, or anticipate any future criminal charges in this case against the school administrator.
“The SRO involved is continuing to serve at Panther Creek High School.”
Chang was suspended with pay from Dec. 7 to March 7 while the district investigated.
Miles said the district’s position was that Chang should never have assisted the school resource officer.
Under school board policy, school employees may use “reasonable restraint or seclusion techniques with students” while trying to keep students safe, but are prohibited from physically restraining students in a manner that causes them “observable physical injury.”
No longer at Panther Creek
Chang’s new job is as coordinating teacher in the school district’s Intervention Services Department. According to the job description, his duties include:
▪ Provides coaching and consultation to school-based staff on effective academic interventions.
▪ Provides professional development for elementary school intervention teachers, middle school or high school intervention coordinators to ensure equitable opportunities for all students to excel.
Luten said that Chang will keep his old salary, which was $93,045 as of Dec. 14.
But Miles said Chang would have preferred to stay at Panther Creek.
“He’s going to continue to work for the Wake County school system for the time being,” Miles said. “He’s still got two children in Wake County schools. He’s looking forward to being there for them.
“When his contract expires, he’ll revisit his professional situation.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 4:56 PM.
