PG County Principal May Have Fought With Student: Report

SPRINGDALE, MD -- A high school principal in Prince George's County has been placed on leave after video appears to show him taking a swing at a student, according to a report.

Principal Gorman Brown of Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale was placed on leave pending an investigation after the video emerged, which shows a man take a swing at a student and then the student swinging back until a school resource officer separates them, WJLA reports.

Prince George's County Police released a statement saying the student had been charged.

The incident happened at 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, and started when Brown was asked to find a 17-year-old student who had left a classroom after being disruptive, police say.

The principal confronted the student in the hallway in front of the school resource officer.

"[A]fter witnessing the student assault the Principal several times, the SRO intervened and deployed a foam pepper spray on the student," the statement reads. "Foam pepper spray is used because it does not disperse in the air and affect others in the vicinity of the deployment. The officer was then able to take the student into custody. The student was then immediately brought to the nurse's office where his face was washed."

The student, who was not identified due to his age, was charged as a juvenile, police say. He was later released, and the incident remains under investigation.

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