Assistant principal in York County officially fired after unanimous vote

YORK, S.C. (WBTV) - The school board unanimously approved the firing of an assistant principal in York County on Tuesday.

York School District One said in a news release on Nov. 10, that York Comprehensive High School assistant principal Charles Drakeford would be fired, pending board approval.

That approval came hours later.

Drakeford was on administrative leave before he was ultimately fired.

His firing came after a social media post appeared to show Drakeford watching a sexually explicit video on his phone at school. The district would only confirm that it investigated a “personnel matter.”

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“The trust our students and families place in us carries an obligation that we will not compromise,” district Superintendent Dr. Heath Branham said in the Nov. 10 release. “Every employee is expected to uphold the professional and ethical standards established by our Board, and those entrusted with leadership have a particular responsibility to model those standards.

“When those expectations are not met, we will act decisively and in accordance with Board policy. The safety, well-being, and best interests of our students come first. That commitment is non-negotiable.”

Community members said they want schools to be places where students feel safe and concerns are taken seriously.

“It’s crazy,” one person said. “Kids, [they’re] our future. We need to do a little better.”

“It’s unnerving,” another person said. “Because we shouldn’t have any kind of inappropriate actions going on from people that deal with children.”

Drakeford had been an assistant principal at York Comprehensive since 2022.

---> Previous Coverage: Assistant principal at York County school to be fired, district says

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