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A woke Bronx high school principal was filmed raising his fists at students in a fighting stance in the middle of a fight despite preaching about “civility.”
The shocking video begins with a fight outside the Bronx Collaborative High School after the relative of a girl who allegedly had milk thrown at her two days earlier was punched by a student.
During the ensuing chaos between students and adults, Principal Brett Schneider, 49, is seen intervening as he raises his hands and pushes one of the teens, pointing his fists at the minor.
One of the students who witnessed the scene told the New York Post that Schneider “looked like he was a boxer”, while others were surprised that he was defending adults against one of his own students.
Schnieder’s actions also seemed to be in stark contrast to how he previously described his leadership abilities.
In an undated post at the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility in Manhattan, he bragged: “We haven’t had a single fight, physical or verbal, in 12 weeks. It is because we have been building trust. We have created a climate of civility and respect.’
Bronx Collaborative High School principal Brett Schneider (in yellow jersey) jumped in the middle of a fight in October and pushed one of his students away from the adults. The fight started after one of the adults allegedly punched a student.
In the video, a school security officer could be seen working nearby to end the violence, but Schnieder intervened to move the student away.
The principal drew the scrutiny of parents and students alike, who condemned him for failing to peacefully stop the fight that broke out at the school.
Tom Sheppard, parent representative on the Department of Education’s Panel on Educational Policy, tweeted: “You’re talking about the principal, the leader of the school, a grown man, who is supposed to be trained to de-escalate situations.” in the street fighting and making things worse.’
A senior at the school echoed the criticism, telling the Post: ‘That’s a grown man. So being a grown man why are you helping another grown man fight a child?
Schneider and the New York City Department of Education did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
The NYPD confirmed that the incident occurred on October 24 and that no arrests were made.
The practical approach to stopping the fight seemed a far cry from Schnieder’s philosophy of finding “creative responses to conflict.”
Schneider is then seen facing the minor with his fists raised.
Both students and parents said they were shocked by the principal’s actions and for appearing to defend adults against a minor.
Schneider’s hands-on approach during the fight strayed far from his philosophy when he became the high school’s first principal in 2013.
In another Morningside Center post, Schnieder, who earned $223,861 last year, said his team had “created a completely different atmosphere, one of love and respect.” Boys are less likely to get into fights.
‘When there’s a fight, they know they won’t be demonized… Finding creative responses to conflict can be life-changing.’
The school, which serves about 550 students, most of whom are Latino and black, also promotes this philosophy on its website, as they also state that they are committed to social justice.
“We reward individuality, diversity and authenticity, working together to address issues of social justice and create positive change in the world,” the school says on its website.
‘Teachers work with students on social justice issues through community circles each week and creatively resolve conflict through restorative circles, conversations, and conferences.’
Schnieder intervened despite the fact that a school official was on the scene tearing it up.
Schnieder is the founding principal of the school (pictured), he praises his leadership for supposedly reducing the number of fights on campus.
Along with recent criticism of the fight, Schneider has also been criticized by former staff members at UFT Solidarity. websitea teachers union caucus that allows educators to post anonymous comments about administrators who ‘need to improve’.
A former staff member described him as ‘misogynistic’ and unwilling to listen to others’ ideas to help the school.
“He repeatedly says that he wants to build a community, but only implements his ideas,” the former staffer wrote. “The joke is that at the Bronx Collaborative, there’s nothing collaborative about the place.”
Before working in high school, Schneider worked at the Institute for Collaborative Education, another Manhattan-based public high school.
He was also a member of the 2019-2020 cohort of the Teachers College Cahn Scholars Program for Distinguished Principals.
Cahn Fellows are chosen from top principals in major US cities who collaborate on special projects to enhance their leadership and their schools.