Police arrested a high school principal in the Negev on suspicion of slapping and biting a student during a brawl. Following questioning, the principal was released to five days of house arrest under restrictive conditions. Police at the Ayarot station are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident. The case was first reported by Reshet News.
The principal was the one who called police more than a week ago to report the brawl. The investigation found that his son and nephew were also suspected of being involved in the altercation. Investigators took statements from those involved, with one student saying the principal shoved him, bit him and slapped him. The principal was questioned under caution and later released to his home.
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The principal gave his account in a letter sent to fellow school principals. He said: "Several days ago, a 12th-grade student called my son at night and began making serious threats against him and me, while also hurling curses and insults at us. We did not understand the reason for his behavior. That same night, I contacted the student's parents but did not receive an adequate response. Immediately afterward, I reported the threats to Israel Police and requested a police presence at the school the following morning."
The principal continued: "The next day, despite an agreement with the parents that the student would be barred from school, he arrived at the school, ambushed my son and brutally attacked him solely because he is the principal's son. He later tried to reach my office to physically harm me, and only the quick thinking of teachers at the school prevented him from doing so. Police arrived only after the attack, and I filed a formal complaint. At the end of the school day, I was asked to come to the Ayarot police station to give a statement."
'Fingerprinting in a humiliating and degrading manner'
The principal, who is suspected of assaulting the student, said he was surprised to discover at the police station that he was being detained and questioned under caution.
"My cellphone was taken from me, and I was placed in a detention cell with other detainees," he said. "I underwent identification procedures, was photographed and had my fingerprints taken in a humiliating and degrading manner. Only during questioning did I learn that the student who attacked us had filed a baseless assault complaint against me. The investigator treated me dismissively and did not listen to my account."
The principal added: "At the end of the questioning, I was released on bail to five days of full house arrest, while the violent student remains free. The following day, when my two sons went to the police station to file a complaint, they were arrested and also placed under house arrest. After looking into the matter, I learned that someone had posted content criticizing the student on TikTok. The student demanded that I, as principal, remove the post. When that did not happen, he decided to take revenge on my children and me.
"I am now sitting at home with very difficult feelings. In dealing with the police, the Education Ministry, the Teachers' Association and the local council, I feel completely alone. We acted properly, followed the law and made all the required reports, but in the end, they turned us — the victims — into criminals. It is an upside-down world devoid of justice.
"After a quarter-century devoted to education, working day and night for the sake of our students, I have reached the painful conclusion that in today's crazy reality — with no institutional support and violence running rampant — it simply does not pay to be a school principal."