LeBron Humiliated: Principal of James' Akron School Resigns After Angry Mom Alleges Child Abuse
The principal of the school founded by NBA star LeBron James has resigned after an incident in which an 11-year-old boy was slapped.
Brandi Davis, the first principal of the I Promise School, has been on leave since September, when the incident took place, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Akron Public Schools spokesman Mark Williamson said the school board will vote Monday on the resignation. He said the findings of the investigation will be shared with the state as is the district’s policy on issues that could impact a state license.
The district has concluded its investigation into the incident, but the results have not been released.
Davis was named principal when the school was launched four years ago. It is a partnership between the school and the LeBron James Family Foundation and was designed to promote the education of at-risk children. James is a native of the Ohio community.
“We are reigniting dreams that were extinguished — already in third and fourth grade,” Davis said two years ago, according to The New York Times. “We want to change the face of urban education.”
At the time, she talked about teaching students “how to love.”
The mother of the slapped child, whose name was withheld by the Beacon Journal, had called for Davis to be fired.
“We looked at you all as family,” she said of the school, the Beacon Journal reported in September.
The mother alleged that Davis called her after the incident, saying that she slapped the boy in a lunch line.
The boy had used a profane term to discuss a mess left in the boys’ bathroom, the mother said she was told by Davis.
Brandi Davis, the first Principal of the LeBron James-backed I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, has ‘resigned’ after being accused of slapping a student. | https://t.co/wtjmLYx7Wg
Ohio principal accused of slapping student resigns – TheGrio https://t.co/qCTy8HDeCb
— Judy Graves (@JudyGra35816777) December 12, 2021
His mother said the child’s lip was cut and he was bleeding, adding that he was wearing a mask when he was slapped.
The mother said she asked Davis, “Why would you put your hands on my child?”
“She said she just reacted and slapped him,” the mother recounted.
“I was surprised. When she called me, I was like, ‘Is this a dream? I’m confused. Is this a joke?'”
The mother believes Davis should pay by losing her job.
“I don’t hate her because everybody makes mistakes, but this is serious when it comes to a child being assaulted,” she said. “I would never hit my kids in the mouth to where their lip is busted.”
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