By Glenn Rolfe

GEORGETOWN — The Indian River School District is looking to fill a vacant Sussex Central High School principal’s position following the recent resignation of Dr. Judi Brittingham.

Named acting principal in August 2023 and principal soon after, Dr. Brittingham resigned from the job June 6, according to district spokesperson David Maull.

“The district has posted the principal’s position and remains focused on securing top-flight leadership for Sussex Central’s students and staff,” he said.

State and federal laws protecting the privacy rights of employees prevent the district from commenting further, Mr. Maull added.

But the administrative position has been in the news for more than a year.

On May 17, 2023, the district announced that an undisclosed number of the school’s employees had been placed on paid administrative leave, stemming from a fight among students captured on surveillance video and a subsequent investigation into the incident.

During the fight, a female student’s breast was momentarily exposed. According to later testimony, the video was shared with staff members at Sussex Central.

The student, Aniyah Harmon, filed a lawsuit, naming as defendants principal Dr. Bradley Layfield, the Indian River School District, Sussex Central High School and assistant principal Matthew Jones. The suit was ultimately dismissed in January.

Then, during a hearing in February, Dr. Layfield contested a notice of intent to terminate that he had received from the district Nov. 16, 2023. However, the Board of Education voted unanimously to end his employment March 21, confirming that both he and Mr. Jones were no longer employees of Indian River the next day.