Montco Principal Who Died Suddenly Over Weekend Mourned

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — Despite the Lower Merion Board of School Directors last month announcing the name of the district's new middle school, community members are calling on the district to rename the school after late Lower Merion High School Principal Sean Hughes.

Hughes died at age 54 following a crash Saturday morning in New Jersey. He was principal at Lower Merion High School for 14 years.

"He encouraged student voice at every turn, the door to his office was always open, and I know that many will carry his message of 'character counts' throughout their lives," Superintendent Khalid N. Mumin said in a statement. "It is not an understatement to say his impact on his students is immeasurable."

Hughes, 51, was driving his 13-year-old son Nolan to a soccer game at around 7:30 a.m. Saturday when he collided with another vehicle in Winslow Township, New Jersey, police said. Nolan, and individuals in the other vehicle, were treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Now, a member of Lower Merion High School's class of 2022 is leading an effort to have the new middle school in Villanova be renamed after the beloved principal.

Sadie White started a Change.org petition calling for Black Rock Middle School to be renamed Sean Hughes Memorial Middle School.

"We all want his memory to live on forever," White wrote on the petition page. "With the new middle school opening in the fall we can think of no better way to honor such an important man in our lives than to name the new middle school "Sean Hughes Memorial Middle School.'"

The name Black Rock Middle School stems from a connection to the distinctive serpentine formation of black rocks in the area, which were noted by the indigenous Lenni Lenape in what is now Lower Merion Township.

Black Rock Middle School is still under construction in Villanova and is set to open for students in grades 5-8 in September 2022.

"If he had been just a principal to us we would be able to think of his family, wish them the best and move on," White wrote. "But he was more than that."

Hughes' impact was wide-reaching and he has already been commemorated elsewhere.

"In 2019, the graduating seniors of the Lower Merion HS Crew team had the privilege of selecting the name for the team’s newest boat," the team shared over the weekend. "They wisely chose to name the boat after Principal Sean Hughes, for the positive and profound impact he had on their lives as well as thousands of other students."

As of 9:30 Monday morning, White's petition has more than 4,100 signatures with a 5,000 signature goal.

See the petition online here.