This morning the grand jury by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office dismissed charges against Frank Sanchez, South Orange-Maplewood principal accused of second-degree child endangerment and simple assault. The charges stemmed from reports by Columbia High School staff and students that Sanchez had mistreated a tenth-grader. The case made headlines, including a feature in the New York Times.

At last month’s South Orange-Maplewood school board meeting, Sanchez was not on the list of renewed staff members. He is on administrative leave until June 30th. The school board declined to say whether it would renew Sanchez following the news of the dismissal of charges.

South Orange-Maplewood: ‘It’s Either a Cover-Up Or Incompetence’

Both Sanchez’s attorneys and the Black Parents Workshop, who had been representing the student, issued statements.

From attorney John McMahon:

We are pleased to advise the South Orange/Maplewood Community that the criminal charges against Principal Frank Sanchez were reviewed and expeditiously dismissed by an Essex County Grand Jury on June 12, 2024. From the outset of this ordeal, we were convinced that what occurred on March 9, 2023, at Columbia High School should never have resulted in criminal charges being filed. The video surveillance that captured this incident revealed that Principal Sanchez acted appropriately, and with restraint, in preventing a possible confrontation between students.”

The job of a High School Principal is very challenging and requires a skillset that few possess. Columbia High School in the South Orange/Maplewood Community values Frank Sanchez as a skilled administrator who cares deeply for their children and their children’s education. Frank and his family wish to extend his gratitude to the community for their unwavering support throughout these difficult times.

Finally, despite our view that criminal charges should never have been filed, the defense team extends our thanks to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for permitting Frank to testify before the Grand Jury in order to provide them the context necessary for their evaluation.

Walter Fields, founder of the Black Parents Workshop, issued the following statement:

While disappointed with the decision by an Essex County Grand Jury to not indict former Columbia High School principal Frank Sanchez for his assault on a student, we respect the criminal justice system and the decision. The Grand Jury did not believe that the altercation rose to the level of second-degree criminal assault. This is why there are two sides to the law – criminal and civil – and we do not accept the Grand Jury as the last word in the pursuit of justice for this student. We will support any and all efforts to achieve justice for this aggrieved student.

There is a history and continued pattern in this nation of discounting the voices of Black children, and adultifying them to minimize their humanity. Despite this history and the obvious bias Black children face, it is our intention to always stand with them; even against the chorus of ignorant adults – black and white.

This is not the first disappointing outcome a Black person has faced in our judicial system, and sadly will not be the last. Grand juries in Essex County have repeatedly failed to uphold justice for children in this community. We witnessed this with the failure to indict police officers who assaulted Black youth after Maplewood’s Independence Day fireworks event, but we fought to hold those officers accountable. There was no indictment of a teacher who held a Black child upside down by their ankles, but we successfully advocated for that teacher’s removal from the school system. The same can be said for a teacher who removed a student’s hijab, and we fought to have that teacher removed.

This is America. This latest episode simply leaves us that much more committed to fight on behalf of Black students.

Black Parents Workshop Founder Walter Fields stated, “While some in the community have attempted to paint Mr. Sanchez as a victim, the real victim here is a young woman and the dignity of any Black student in the South Orange-Maplewood School District who dare come forward to protest their mistreatment. The grand jury decision is not a period at the end of a sentence, it is simply a comma with more to come. And there is more to come.”

There is a reason Mr. Sanchez’ was suspended and is no longer the principal of Columbia High School, just as there is a reason his own union never came to his defense. We believe he abused his authority and violated the trust of this student. Whether his offense rose to the status of a crime, was a decision made by the Office of the Essex County Prosecutor. BPW supported that decision but had no role in it. If the Grand Jury had indicted Mr. Sanchez, we would have respected it, just as we respected the decision not to indict. However, there are other standards by which Mr. Sanchez can and should be held accountable, and these have yet to be exhausted.

We are not deterred by the Grand Jury’s decision nor the cult-like worship of Mr. Sanchez by some in the South Orange-Maplewood community. Our focus remains on the student and our support of the student remains steadfast. The attacks on the integrity of this student, and by association the Black Parents Workshop, only exposes the depths of racial animus in this community and validates our position. Fields added, “Anyone or any group who believes this decision is a victory is sadly mistaken. We are not deterred. As has been the case historically, Black children suffer in silence until Black adults speak loudly and come to their defense. BPW is committed to the pursuit of justice no matter how long it takes or the road we must travel. Our justice system exists for a reason, and we will avail ourselves of every tool imaginable to hold adults who are charged with the care of our children accountable. And we will do so no matter the noise in the background.”