A Manhattan Criminal Court Judge dismissed charges against a school principal who tried to block school safety agents last October as they walked an arrested student out the front door of East Side Community High School in Manhattan.

The judge’s decision “undermines the authority of school safety agents,” said President Gregory Floyd, emphasizing that if agents had been asked to testify and give their side of the story, the result might have been different.

The conflict erupted when an SSA denied an irate 17-year-old student early entry to the school. When the student assaulted the SSA she was placed under arrest. As SSAs tried to escort her out a side door, they were told by their supervisor to use the front door because the girl’s mother was at the side door and appeared agitated.

Principal Mark Federman insisted they use the side door, and when the SSAs reached the front door, he blocked it with his body. In the scuffle an agent was pulled to the ground. The SSAs handcuffed and arrested the principal, who was charged by the New York Police Department with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration. The Department of Education allowed Federman to return to work that afternoon.

Last month, Judge Tanya R. Kennedy ruled over the objections of the city and was quoted in the Chief-Leader as saying “The extent of harm caused by the offense as well as the seriousness and circumstances of said offense are minor.” Kennedy argued that the principal did not threaten the safety of the officer or the school community.

The ruling showed that “administrators can sometimes pull strings and hide things,” said Floyd. “It’s just an example of how certain segments of society get rid of things.”

The conflict at East Side High School dominated a New York City Council hearing on school safety which, coincidentally, was held the day after the incident, Oct. 10, 2007.

Testifying for school safety agents, Floyd declared that “the principal has to step back and let law enforcement do their job.” He also acknowledged that the conflict signaled an issue that needs to be worked out so everyone in the school understands who is in charge when a crime is committed.

Echoing Floyd, Judge Kelly called for clarifying the roles of principals and the NYPD in the area of school discipline.