East Brookfield, Mass. elementary principal on leave

(NECN) - East Brookfield Elementary School's principal has been put on administrative leave for the rest of the school year, said the superintendent of the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District.

Dr. Reza Namin, superintendent of the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District, said Mark Andrews, principal of the East Brookfield Elementary, was put on administrative leave after a report from a parent and student that Andrews harassed them.

Dr. Namin would not go into details.

Andrews' administrative leave happened after safety concerns arose after Andrews allegedly didn't properly handle an incident where a student was making threats toward the school with a makeshift weapon. Dr. Namin said Andrews should have met with faculty to determine if the student had a mental disability, and should have notified parents of the threat. Instead, the student who made threats was allowed to return to school the next day.

Dr. Namin says he is meeting with parents and staff members to address concerns, and that a former principal has been brought back out of retirement to cover the position for the remainder of the academic year.