Abington High School Principal Reinstated After Investigation

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Alice Swift, principal of Abington Senior High School, has been reinstated after being placed on administrative leave for an investigation of her social media posts.

In an email to the Abington High School staff, parents, and guardians, Schools Superintendent Jeffrey S. Fecher and School Board President Melissa Mowry said that Swift started in her post again on Wednesday.

"Following the recommendations of a third-party investigation, Dr. Alice Swift returned to her position as Principal of Abington Senior High School, after being placed on several weeks of administrative leave in response to allegations of social media posts that contained an antisemitic stereotype and were not aligned with the values of Abington School District," the statement read.

"While we are not permitted to share additional details of personnel matters, we are working with local faith leaders and organizations to ensure that Dr. Swift, along with students and staff, receive additional programming and training that aligns with our commitment to fostering welcoming, safe, and positive learning environments for all of our students," the statement read.

Swift issued a statement as well, apologizing for the impact the investigation has had on the school community.

"Recent content associated with my social media account has circulated within our community, and it is important to me that I address it directly," Swift said. "I want to be clear that this content does not represent me, my values, or anything I would ever choose to share. I recognize, however, that regardless of how this content came to be shared, it caused real distress for members of our school community, and that distress deserves to be acknowledged. I recognize the impact it has had on our community, and I accept full responsibility for not ensuring appropriate safeguards for my social media account, as the content does not reflect my core values and beliefs. For that impact, I sincerely apologize."

School officials said the investigation was conducted by a third party to ensure the process was fair and thorough.

"We reviewed the report’s recommendations, which ultimately supported Dr. Swift’s return to her position at the high school," school officials said. "We appreciate the patience of our school community throughout the past several weeks so that our investigators could complete their review in a manner that ensured an appropriate outcome for our students. We realize that there will continue to be questions, as this remains a personnel matter."

The Abington School District administration will not share more information going forward.

The school district said it plans to work with faith leaders in the area, along with the Anti-Defamation League, "to ensure that Swift, along with students and staff, receive additional progral programming and training that aligns with our commitment to fostering welcoming, safe, and positive learning environments for all of our students."

"We take matters such as these seriously, and our goal is to always prioritize our students’ best interests in our decision-making. As a school community, it is our hope that we can all move forward together with those same interests in mind," school officials said. "Given the sensitive nature of the posts that were called into question, we understand that there are members of our school community who may still be experiencing a sense of hurt, especially those in our Jewish community."

School officials said Swift will be meeting with student and community groups throughout the next several weeks to restore trust and provide a space for listening to feedback.