Santa Rosa high school principal, assistant on leave after student's fatal stabbing

Monday, March 13, 2023

Santa Rosa high school principal, assistant on leave after stabbing

Santa Rosa's Montgomery High announced its principal and assistant principal are on leave after a student was fatally stabbed inside of a classroom.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- Two administrators at Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa have been placed on leave, two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a student at the campus.

The Santa Rosa Schools district website on Monday announced the decision in a brief statement, saying that Principal Adam Paulson and Assistant Principal Tyler Ahlborn were on leave and that a former principal, Laurie Fong will serve as principal for the rest of the school year.

No other information was released by school superintendent Anna Trunnell about the action.

Fong, who served as principal at the school from 2006 to 2016, stepped down from the Santa Rosa Board of Education in order to fill in at Montgomery, according to the district.

"Resigning her position from the board of education allows her to return to MHS to be part of the healing and to work closely with the district and school community as we build the security and social-emotional supports for the school," the district's statement said.

Kaesa Enemark and Ryan Thompson, both former site administrators, will join the administrative team to support Fong and the school community, the district said.

VIDEO: Heartbroken family mourns loss of 16-year-old stabbed to death at a Santa Rosa high school

Family members are mourning the loss of 16-year-old Jayden Pienta, who was stabbed to death at Santa Rosa's Montgomery High School by another student.

Sixteen-year-old Montgomery High School student Jayden Jess Pienta was fatally stabbed March 1 during a fight in an art classroom, and a 15-year-old has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death.

One week later, a 15-year-old student was found with a large hunting knife in their backpack at another Santa Rosa school, Amarosa Academy. That student was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony possession of a dangerous weapon on campus, police said.

The school district said it is adding supervision to all high school campuses.

"Officers will spend more time patrolling around the areas of our high schools for added support. We will continue to work with (Santa Rosa police) to create long-term strategies for safety," the district's statement said.

The district released the following statement, along with a safety plan:

"Beginning this Monday, we welcome back to the MHS family Laurie Fong, who will serve as the principal for the remainder of the school year. Laurie served as Montgomery's principal from 2006-2016. Resigning her position from the Board of Education allows her to return to MHS to be part of the healing and to work closely with the district and school community as we build the security and social emotional supports for the school. The Board of Education and District leadership team are deeply grateful to our colleague for her commitment to serve the students and staff at MHS. Additionally, Kaesa Enemark and Ryan Thompson, Both former site administrators, will be joining the administrative team to support Laurie and the Montgomery community of students, staff, and families. Principal Paulson and Assistant Principal Ahlborn are on leave."

Stay with ABC7 News for updates on this developing story.

VIDEO: Santa Rosa school stabbing: Victims' families say administration 'failed' students in campus safety