Nov 27 - Nov 29
Fort Lauderdale Campus
1501 NE 62nd Street,Boca Raton Campus
2700 St. Andrews Boulevard,Pine Crest does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, or athletic and other School-administered programs.
The School separated this individual from her employment at Pine Crest after she repeatedly posted what the School considered to be hateful and incendiary material on social media. The School takes a very critical view of activity that has the possibility of inciting violence, particularly in light of a mass shooting that took place at a high school several miles from us. We viewed some of this individual’s posts—including, for example, an image of a soldier pointing a machine gun at an infant inside of an incubator and an image with commentary suggesting that some wanted to roast babies in an oven—as having the possibility of inciting hatred and creating a climate of fear.
While the former employee has attempted to diminish the nature of her posts in recent media appearances, her actions violated Pine Crest’s employment policies and our expectations for parents, as articulated in the School’s Employee Handbook, Student Handbook, and enrollment agreement. These violations not only caused her employment separation but also impacted her family's eligibility to continue as part of the Pine Crest community.
One of the hallmarks of a Pine Crest educational experience is a positive, constructive, and cooperative relationship between the School and our families—one that is characterized by trust, respect, and cooperative participation in support of the exceptional learning environment we provide at Pine Crest. Maintaining this type of relationship with parents is essential to the School’s mission and the fulfillment of our responsibilities to students.
For these reasons, the Student Handbook and enrollment agreement make clear that if a parent engages in behavior that is “disruptive, intimidating, or overly aggressive” or “interferes … with the School’s … safety procedures, responsibilities, or the accomplishment of its educational purpose or program,” the School may take the action that it deems necessary to address the situation.
The School determined that this individual violated our employment policies and expectations for parents by repeatedly posting what it considered to be hateful and incendiary material on social media. Her behavior was also such that the School believed it could increase the risk of violence in our community and compromise the safety of our students, employees, and families. While we did not reach this decision lightly, the School determined that the appropriate response under these circumstances was to separate the family. This unfortunate situation was brought about by the former employee.
At a recent press conference, counsel for the family made clear that they are not seeking to return the student to Pine Crest.
Yes. The School investigated the matter, including by communicating multiple times with the employee about her conduct. In addition, Pine Crest provided the employee with various steps she could take to try to mitigate the disruption she was causing while the School’s investigation was pending. The employee elected to disregard the School’s recommendations and, instead, continued posting incendiary content on social media accounts she made accessible to members of the School’s community. She also posted images of herself at the School wearing her Pine Crest employee lanyard, which clearly identified her as a Pine Crest employee and improperly linked her posts to the School.
After reviewing all of the relevant facts that came to light during the investigation, the School determined that this individual’s actions violated our employment policies and the parent expectations that families agree to abide by as members of the Pine Crest community. The former employee’s admitted conduct caused her employment separation and the separation of her family from Pine Crest.
Pine Crest is, first and foremost, a school. Our collective focus is on upholding the School’s core values and educating our students in a physically and emotionally safe environment. We have made clear to members of our community that there is no place here for bias, discrimination, harassment, threats, or hate-based conduct of any kind.
Although the First Amendment does not apply since Pine Crest is not a government actor, the School embraces different opinions and encourages all community members to engage in respectful and peaceful dialogue. We believe that diversity of thought and peaceful and respectful debate contribute to the School’s ability to deliver a high-quality and well-rounded education to our students.
However, when the behavior of an employee, parent, or student has the potential to disrupt the learning environment, incite violence, make others uncomfortable, and/or jeopardize campus or personal safety and security, the School takes appropriate action to address the behavior consistent with our stated policies and procedures. The School acted here because it determined that this employee/parent engaged in all of the above misconduct and increased the risk of harm to our community.
All parents who enroll their children at Pine Crest are presented with a contract, which they must read and sign before their child can enroll. The contract outlines the respective rights and obligations that exist between the School and its parents. By signing the agreement, parents agree to comply with all of the rules, regulations, policies, conditions, practices, and directives of the School, including the expectations for parent cooperation outlined in the enrollment agreement and the student handbook. This type of contract is common for independent schools across the country.
Yes. In the School’s enrollment agreement and student handbook, Pine Crest has detailed the expectations we have for positive, constructive, cooperative, and trusting relationships with all of our parents. Our families understand that we consider the parent-school relationship as fundamental to our ability to deliver on the School’s mission and fulfill the School’s responsibilities to our students. Indeed, parents contractually agree to honor this relationship, acknowledging that when the relationship deteriorates, the School has the right to take the action it determines is appropriate under the circumstances. In the past, the School has asked other families to leave when they have violated the School’s policies and expectations, which parents contractually agree to adhere to in order to remain part of our community.
Out of respect for the family’s privacy, Pine Crest will not publicly discuss the family’s history at the School leading up to the recent events.
At Pine Crest, we honor and celebrate the diversity of our students, families, and community and are sensitive to how global events impact them. The School has no stance on the conflict in the Middle East other than to focus on upholding Pine Crest’s core values and denounce any form of hatred, bias, or violence. Pine Crest will remain committed to educating our students in a physically and emotionally safe environment and serving as a resource for all our students, employees, and families.
No. The School, like other independent schools across the country, has asked families to separate in the past when parents violated our parent cooperation agreement. This is not new. As we stated earlier, every family signs an enrollment agreement and student handbook each year, both of which outline the School's expectations for parents and the potential consequences of violating those expectations. Dr. Almasri Abuhamda has signed these documents on more than one occasion.
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Pine Crest School is a non-profit, independent school with 630 employees serving 2,699 students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve on two campuses: one in Fort Lauderdale and one in Boca Raton. More than 9,000 students have graduated from Pine Crest since the School’s founding in 1934.
The School’s mission is to develop the character, independence, and leadership of each student; to prepare our students to meet the global challenges of our future by offering an exceptional academic experience complemented by excellence in arts and athletics; and to build a collaborative, inclusive, and open-minded learning community that respects, appreciates, and encourages those with diverse cultures, backgrounds, talents, experiences, and opinions. For more information, visit www.pinecrest.edu.
Fort Lauderdale Campus
1501 NE 62nd StreetBoca Raton Campus
2700 St. Andrews BoulevardPine Crest School admits students regardless of race, religion, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability who possess the motivation, ability, and character which would enable them to succeed in our School community. Pine Crest does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, or athletic and other School-administered programs.