Thousands sign petition to fire Santa Ynez High School vice principal following student-involved incident

"We are investigating complaints related to the incident and based on the outcome of the investigation, we will respond appropriately"

Andrew Schwab, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Superintendent

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif. – As of Friday afternoon, more than 3,400 people have signed a petition to fire Peter Haws, the Vice Principal of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, following a student-involved incident on Jan. 5, 2023.

The petition's introduction said the vice principal "has an eight plus year history of targeting and profiling non-white students and imposing harsh punishments, suspensions and expulsions on students of color and those with IEPs (Individual Education Plans)."

"His discriminatory and unethical behavior has finally been exposed in the recent 2/22/23 article in The Santa Barbara Independent, detailing Haws’ gross mishandling and escalation of an incident involving a Latino student with an IEP who was suspected of vaping," wrote Kendra Mercado, the petition's posted organizer.

Mercado said "excessive force was implemented" on the student, that "he was twice sedated, while handcuffed," and later "was rushed to the hospital and awoke with his father by his side."

News Channel 3-12 reached out to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office for comment on the incident.

Raquel Zick, public information officer for SBSO, said that at 10 a.m. on Jan. 5, the School Resource Deputy (SRD) attempted to contact a juvenile student suspected of smoking marijuana on campus.

Zick said the teen was "non-compliant" and walked away from the SRD, heading into class.

The SRD then "vacated the classroom for the safety of other students," according to Zick, while more deputies responded to the campus.

What transpired within the classroom was not included in the statement received from the sheriff's office.

Zick said the "student was ultimately taken into custody with routine physical restraint, released to the care of medics who transported to an area hospital for non-trauma related care, and was later released to a guardian."

Zick declined to further clarify what "routine physical restraint" meant in this case.

"Deputies will be forwarding a report for this incident to Juvenile Probation," said Zick.

During the incident, Zick noted that "a group of students outside the classroom obstructed the additional deputies from assisting the School Resource Deputy and one additional student was arrested for obstruction."

No deputies were physically injured during this call, according to Zick.

Responding to a follow-up question about body-camera footage, Zick said body cameras were utilized, but the footage is not releasable to the media as it involved a juvenile.

In the petition currently circulating within the community, Mercado said "the student was brutally traumatized."

Within the 100+ comments under the "Reasons for signing" section in the change.org petition, comments from people saying they are SYHS alum or parents of SYHS students list in-depth encounters and concerns with Haws' behavior.

"After the story appeared this week, SYHS alumni, along with current students, have found the courage to speak out against Haws and his history of harassment," wrote Mercado. "Please join us in calling for an end to this incessant racial discrimination and help us create a safe learning environment - something that is not possible as long as Haws remains at the school."

News Channel 3-12 reached out to Andrew Schwab, superintendent of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, for comment.

"Due to student and personnel confidentiality requirements, I am not able to comment on specifics about the incident," said Schwab. "However, the district takes all concerns brought forward very seriously and has retained... an independent third-party, to investigate allegations related to this incident."

Schwab then provided the following statement he earlier shared with the district board:

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the January 5th incident and recognize that there are many different perspectives about issues like student discipline and law enforcement’s role on school campuses. When it comes to maintaining the safety of students and staff on our campus, we rely on staff and local law enforcement to respond appropriately and with the utmost professionalism. We are investigating complaints related to the incident and based on the outcome of the investigation, we will respond appropriately, and, within the limits of what we are able to share publicly in accordance with the law and student and personnel confidentiality requirements, we will report out the results of that investigation and our response, as soon as we are able. I would ask the community to allow us the time necessary to conduct a fair and impartial investigation and to refrain from participating in speculation or accusations based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

What I have learned from this experience is that we have more work to do in understanding the many perspectives that come from being the public comprehensive high school serving the communities in the valley. We all come together here with different lived experiences and expectations and as educators, we need to continue to provide avenues for civil discourse where we can foster mutual understanding and respect. We will continue to conduct surveys, meet with students and parents and listen to the many voices in the valley. It is my hope that we can continue to work together collaboratively to build a school culture that is centered around positive student-staff relationships, student voice and agency and student learning.

In closing, another thing that I have learned from this experience is how deeply our staff cares about each and every student and family that we serve. We know that is something we all have in common, and one of the reasons we all became educators in the first place.

Andrew Schwab, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Superintendent

Within the petition's description, Mercado said the student is currently awaiting a "decision regarding his expulsion, proposed by Haws, and the future of his education at SYHS."

News Channel 3-12 reached out to the vice principal as well as Principal Michael Niehoff, but has not yet received a response.