As a concerned member of the Harlingen community, I am deeply troubled by the behavior of Efrain Amaya, the current principal at Harlingen High School. Many students have expressed their discomfort with his actions and words, particularly our young girls who are allegedly being victim-blamed for their dress code. It is reported that Mr. Amaya has made inappropriate comments suggesting that these girls deserve unwanted attention if they wear anything he deems too revealing.

 Students have also told me of the changes he has made and of the alleged plans he has for the future.

• For the next year, he plans to remove the special education classrooms, as for the reasons for this, I am unsure, but it is disgusting regardless.
• Students are also unable to access their devices in emergency settings, unable to contact their parents if anything were to go awry on campus.
• Unless you are on the list for care, you cannot be tended to by the nurse's office efficiently as you would be able to in the past. A student has come forward and has admitted to have to be sent to the hospital to get a heart monitor due to the condition they were in. They were not allowed to call home due to their phone being taken and not being listed on the registry.

  In addition to these disturbing claims, it has come to my attention that amidst a fight that had broken out between two female students, he pinned down the girl who was fighting back to the ground with his full bodyweight. Mr. Amaya's reckless behavior could have possibly injured the girl. As I've seen the photos and videos, I'm appalled at the inappropriate position he put her in. If the security officers did not make the choice to pin down these girls, then he certainly was never obligated to do so either. 

 Mr. Amaya's alleged actions could potentially harm not just individual students but also the overall performance of the school.

I believe in creating an environment where all students can thrive without fear or prejudice. I call on the relevant authorities to remove Efrain Amaya from his principal role at Harlingen High School as well as any other administrative abilities he may hold within our educational system.