A high school principal in Fairfax County, Va., was forced to apologize for her tone-deaf actions after a student tragically died from a drug overdose.
Seemingly making it all about herself, Justice High School Principal Tiffany Narcisse shared a beaming image of herself standing in the school hallway on social media. The caption read, “Losing a student is never easy for a building principal. Still smiling. Still standing. Still leading. Still teaching, learning, and growing.”
Students were reportedly upset over the now-deleted tweet and were posting photos of it around the school.
Wow. A student tragically passed away from a drug overdose at @justicehswolves.
This was the tone deaf and narcissistic response from the principal.
Outraged students responded by hanging up pictures of her tweet around the school‼️ pic.twitter.com/F51V0xGity
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 14, 2023
Narcisse would address the controversy in an email to parents, offering an apology while explaining her intent, according to WUSA.
“I want to take a moment to address a social media post I made last week,” she wrote. “While my intent was to uplift our community, I now realize that instead it caused hurt and harmed the school community. For that, I am truly sorry.”
“I continue to be in contact with the student’s family, and they have appreciated the community’s outreach and support,” the principal continued. “It has meant a great deal to them during this difficult time. We will continue to be a support for them in the days and weeks ahead.”
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid released a statement saying she has expressed her concerns about the incident with Narcisse and that she stands by her.
“Justice High School recently suffered a devastating loss and we continue to grieve alongside the family of this young person who will be deeply missed,” Reid said. “Principal Narcisse made me aware of her social media post that drew significant criticism. In response to that criticism, she had since removed the post.”
“I subsequently spoke with Principal Narcisse, and I understand both the intent and the impact of the post as she explained it,” she continued. “I have addressed my concerns with her, and made clear my leadership expectations moving forward. The role of a school principal is increasingly complex and as humans, we make mistakes. We also process grief in different ways. Extending grace to one another during difficult times builds a stronger community. We appreciate your grace at this time.”
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
Main character syndrome
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) December 14, 2023
DEI has roots in clinical narcissism. Change my mind.
— DudesExMachina (@DudesExMachina) December 14, 2023
She really lived up to her name.
— Moose (@JoeyMooose) December 14, 2023
Wow. How tone deaf can one person be? Incredibly insensitive. Maybe she shouldn’t be running a school!
— Cheryl (@StoreyLine) December 14, 2023
“A student passed away, anyway here’s a picture of me”
— Blonde Bigot (@BlondeBigot11) December 14, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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