Brandi Davis, the founding principal of LeBron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, has resigned after allegations that she slapped a student in the face, drawing blood.
Davis’ resignation is a culmination of an investigation that began in September, when she was accused of slapping an 11-year-old boy in the face for cursing. The 11-year-old’s mother told the local newspaper the Akron Beacon Journal at the time that she received a text message from Davis in the afternoon stating that she had slapped her son for using profanity after she approached him and a group of boys about a mess they made in the boy’s bathrooms.
After the incident, the boy’s mother said she questioned Davis why she would put her hands on her child, to which the former public school principal responded that she had “just reacted and slapped him.”
The Akron Public Schools will vote on the acceptance of her resignation today, Dec. 13. In its fourth year, the I Promise School is a joint venture between the LeBron James Foundation and Akron Public Schools and is designed to help at-risk kids.
Investigation results for the slapping incident are currently pending and will be forwarded to the state of Ohio to determine if there are any long-term consequences regarding Davis’ teaching license. Davis was an educator with the Akron Public School district for more than 20 years and was a member of the LeBbron James Family Foundation board as well. She was on paid administrative leave prior to her resignation.
“We are family, and that means we support every one of our I PROMISE educators, students, and family members through anything they may be going through. In this and in every case, we will always do everything we can to make sure all are loved and supported during these times as we learn and grow as a family,” the school responded in a statement at the time of the incident.
Take a look at the news footage on the next page from when the alleged incident first occurred.
