#DOE removes principal from embattled Queens MS 158

The principal of a Queens middle school that became a flashpoint in a citywide debate over classroom safety and discipline last year has been removed, according to the Department of Education.

Former MS 158 Marie Curie principal Henry Schandel will now serve as an assistant principal at another school and be replaced by interim principal Peter McHugh, officials said.

A string of ugly incidents at the Bayside campus during the last academic year — including a vicious lunchroom beating and a classroom sexual assault — culminated in a packed parent meeting where Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza was heckled off the dais.

Both incidents eventually resulted in arrests — but parents of the two victims said the perpetrators were never suspended out of school and that Schandel failed to adequately address their concerns.

Carranza walked off the stage during a raucous January meeting where both teachers and parents complained of deteriorating classroom safety and lax discipline from administrators.

Arguing that suspensions are meted out in a racially disproportionate manner and that they lead to worsened academic outcomes, the DOE has pushed principals to embrace less punitive measures.

But parents at Marie Curie said administrators failed to properly handle severe misconduct last year and that other students were paying the price.

Katty Sterling, whose daughter was assaulted in the school’s cafeteria in a video that went viral, said the attacker remained in class while her child was too scared to return.

The father of another Marie Curie said Schandel never told him that his daughter was being sexually hounded by a student who was eventually arrested for forcibly groping her.

While Schandel became the focus of parental and teacher anger, some sources at the school said systemwide DOE policies were also to blame for the breakdown in safety last year.

Marie Curie, considered one of the better schools in District 26, will name a permanent principal at a later date.

McHugh, a 20-year veteran of the DOE and most recently the Guidance Manager/Climate & Culture Manager at the Queens North Borough Office, began his career as a teacher at Richmond Hill High School.

“Mr. McHugh is an invaluable resource in providing care and support for students recovering from trauma — something our young people need now more than ever,” said District 26 Superintendent Danielle Giunta.

“He will provide steady, professional, and engaged leadership to the students, staff, and families of Marie Curie during this transitional period.”