13 people complained about the vice principal of a special high school in Queens, New York City, who was accused of inappropriate behavior by 13 female students. The vice principal, Hector L. Diaz, was not only the school’s “sexual harassment prevention contact person” but also responsible for promoting the “whole person respect program”. Now he has become the target of complaints from many students, causing uproar and concern inside and outside the school. The school involved is York College Queens High School of Science and Technology (QHSS), located in Jamaica, Queens. It is one of the eight special high schools in the city. It is strong in science and technology (STEM) teaching and has strict admission standards. There are about 498 students in the school, 81% of whom are Asian. During his tenure as vice principal, Diaz was responsible for a number of administrative and academic duties, and handled gender, race and campus atmosphere-related incidents on behalf of the school. According to the investigation revealed by the media, the students’ complaints against Diaz were mainly about inappropriate language and behavior: including commenting on female students’ clothing, “You look like you are going to a nightclub”, using stereotypes against Asians, pulling students’ arms without permission, and even touching girls’ backs in the corridor. Many students also mentioned that Diaz would talk to specific female students alone for a long time, and his staring behavior made them feel “extremely uncomfortable”. Some students even said that they had received private messages from him asking “Where are you going today?” and other content.
Kiki Zou, a 12th grade student and student union member of the school, wrote a letter to Principal Ana De Jesus on April 17, detailing her experiences and concerns with her peers. She said: “His unprofessional and inappropriate behavior has affected my friends, classmates, and our originally very close student community.” The letter subsequently triggered a wider response within the school. The student union leaders sorted out 10 similar cases and reported to the school and the Education Bureau on behalf of many girls.
However, students’ dissatisfaction is not only about Diaz’s behavior, but also about the slow response of the system and the lack of transparency of information. Some students reported that although they had raised concerns to the school, they did not receive a clear response. They were only told that “the school will inform the school department”, and then there was no news.
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Education said: “Such allegations are absolutely intolerable. Any form of harassment has no place in our school. The investigation is still ongoing and appropriate action will be taken.”
On May 2, Principal De Geus sent an email to parents confirming that Diaz “is no longer a member of the school community”, but did not disclose the specific details of the investigation. Diaz hung up the phone when the media called for inquiries and refused to comment.
According to information, Diaz, 54, holds a New York State pre-school to sixth grade teaching and school administration license and has served as an acting vice principal at a school in the Bronx. The school was closed by the city’s Department of Education after a student stabbing in 2017, and Diaz was subsequently included in the list of administrators who were not assigned a fixed position.
