Video shows confrontation between BHAS Superintendent and students, families question district response

UPDATE: Trenton Bowens, Vice President of Board of Education for Benton Harbor Area Schools, released the following statement on Thursday:

"Good afternoon,

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education is aware of the video circulating from

Benton Harbor High School. We understand the concern it has caused. The Board has been informed from the beginning, and the situation has been handled internally.

While we believe in transparency, we also have a responsibility to respect the privacy of our students and staff. For that reason, we do not discuss personnel or student matters publicly.

Thank you for your patience. Please know that we remain committed to the safety, dignity, and success of every student and staff member in Benton Harbor.

Respectfully,"

ORIGINAL STORY: BENTON HARBOR, Mich.— New video obtained by ABC57 News shows a heated confrontation between the Benton Harbor school superintendent and a student inside the high school, an incident Dr. Simone Griffin has called regrettable and unfortunate but one for which she has not faced consequences.

Despite the video coming out at Monday night’s school board meeting, the district says Griffin is standing by her original written statement and is refusing to comment further, even after multiple attempts to speak with her.

In the video, Griffin can be seen coming out of the Benton Harbor High School cafeteria, throwing papers and losing her patience in front of students and faculty members.

Her original statement said she personally met with parents and students involved to reach a mutual place of understanding and reconciliation, but those involved have disputed that.

A great aunt of the students, who spoke during Tuesday’s board meeting, says the situation is far deeper than the confrontation itself.

“This is about trauma on trauma on top of trauma on top of trauma,” she said.

Sharon Brown, a community advocate and Benton Harbor High School alum, says the incident reflects generations of a broken system and unresolved trauma throughout the community. She believes students need leadership that understands their challenges and sets a strong example.

Brown said her great niece had lost her mother just days before the incident, during a period when Griffin was serving as interim principal after the former principal was moved to Fairplain East Elementary.

Tiana Batiste-Waddell, executive director of the Jax Aspire Foundation, says the district failed to address the community at the board meeting.

“You have an opportunity to address your community, which is an intimate community. It is not a large community and so you have to control the narrative and they said nothing. Nothing,” she said.

A survey from the Jax Aspire Foundation, created to gauge the community reaction after the video surfaced, shows nearly 90 percent of respondents want Griffin to step down or be terminated.

Brown hopes the incident sparks a greater response across the community.

“I am hoping all of that comes out of this that this becomes not just a school issue. It is not but that we will start looking at our community,” she said.