DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — As many students and parents continue to put their support behind a beloved high school principal, we're learning more about what may have sparked the school district's move to place him on administrative leave.
RELATED: School staff react after Annapolis High School principal reinstated, superintendent suspended
When Annapolis High School Principal Aaron Mollett was placed on leave in early May, the superintendent of Dearborn Heights District 7 and its school board declined to say much more than it involved an investigation of a sensitive matter.
A week after a large number of students and parents protested Mollett's suspension, the board reinstated him but only until the end of the school year. So, now that the school year is over, Mollett is back on administrative leave.
"This is highly sensitive and any further information will be shared once the investigation is complete," School Board President Latanya Gater wrote in a statement to students and parents Tuesday. "Board members ask for the patience of our school district's families as we work to conclude the investigation. "
One of those parents wanting more information about Mollett's leave and the investigation is the mother of 14-year-old Selena Perez, May Renick.
"If there was more that he knew and he could have said something or done something, then I hope that justice for Selena really does take place," Renick told 7 Action News.
It was early evening on first of May when Selena's stepfather and 16-year-old brother found her body in their home. Selena had taken her own life.
Selena's mother said she received a phone call from Principal Mollett earlier that day saying that Selena had gotten into trouble for flipping water bottles in class. Renick said she told Mollett that she would have a talk with Selena.
Renick said as she and the rest of the family were waiting for the morgue to arrive, Mollett and the superintendent showed up at the house. The family is unaware of how the two men learned of Selena's death.
Renick said Principal Mollet, whom her daughter had a good, trusting relationship with, stunned her when she claims he told her that Selena may have been high earlier that day.
"He said, 'I'm so sorry, I asked her today if she was on anything.' And I said wait, you asked her if she was on anything? You didn't tell me that at three o'clock this afternoon when you talked to me," Renick said, recalling the conversation she said ended with Mollet telling her that wasn't what he said.
Renick said her response would have been different had she known her daughter was suspected of being under the influence of any drug.
Attorney Ali Koussan is now representing Selena's family as they seek information about what school officials may have been aware of in the hours leading up to the teen taking her own life.
On May 22, Koussan sent a letter to Mollett, Superintendent Tyrone Weeks, and the school board to serve as notice to preserve documents and other "electronic evidence" as part of "potential litigation" against them and Annapolis High School.
"As a result of the fragile and volatile nature of electronic information, you have an obligation to take reasonable steps to ensure that electronic information is safeguarded and preserved," Koussan wrote in his letter. "Data preservation includes, but is not limited to, ceasing all data destruction activities, automatic e-mail deletion functions, backup tape recycling, hard drive reformatting, and cache removing procedures. You must immediately suspend routine purging, overwriting, re-using, deleting, or any other destruction of electronic information (and paper documents), wherever it is stored — including evidence kept off premises at employees’, agents’ homes."
7 Action News has reached out to an attorney representing Aaron Mollett for a response.
Dearborn Heights Police said they are conducting an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the "alleged suicide of a student" and that the investigation does involve a school official.
Police said, as part of their thorough investigation, they came across "communication" that needed to be investigated.
One of the many outspoken supporters of Principal Mollett said is Tiffany Perez, a parent who also protested Mollett's suspension last month.
Perez said they are still waiting for the district to tell them why Mollett was ever placed on administrative leave.
"This is not his fault. It is not," Perez said. "He is such a good man. He helped so many kids. He helped so many parents. He helps his staff. This is an extremely unfortunate event. We hope that he gets reinstated for as long as he can be there."
Selena's mother said they never pushed for Mollett's suspension and they are not trying to get anyone terminated. She said they just want to know if any school official may have failed to tell them anything about her daughter that they could have acted upon and saved her life.
"I feel like there's something more that we're not being told. We're not even being told," Renick said. "People are upset because they don't know about the investigation - we don't even know what the investigation is. We have no idea."
