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Those students were upset after being told this week that the principal of Elmont Memorial High School, Kevin Dougherty, or "Doc" would not be returning this year.
On Tuesday, Aug. 30, Superintendent James Grossane, of the Sewanhaka Central High School District wrote to students and family that Dougherty is "taking a sabbatical leave of absence for the 2022-2023 school year."
Grossane went on to announce he would be appointing an acting principal for the school year.
What has the students upset, according to NBC New York, is they were not provided with a reason for his absence, prompting many to ask "Where is Mr. Dougherty?"
Many told the news channel that Dougherty was like family and had worked hard to help the community, He even started a group -- The Men of Elmont -- to help bridge the gap between the police and the community.
School officials told Daily Voice the group had been merged with the "My Brothers Keeper program" - from President Obama’s national initiative.
Even parents and some alumni are upset over the loss of Dougherty.
One told NBC New York: "It’s rare you find any faculty member let alone a principal that truly genuinely cares about his students and the community. So if we lost that, we lose everything," said Marc-Anthony Tuo, an alumnus of the school.
The district declined to answer Daily Voice's questions regarding why Dougherty was gone for the year.
On Friday, Sept. 2, the superintendent announced Taryn Johnson, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, will be the acting principal of Elmont Memorial High School until further notice.
This is a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
To read the entire NBC New York story, click here.
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