Iowa City High students plan Friday event to support principal

An Iowa City High student-organized demonstration to show support for Principal Mark Hanson has been postponed until Friday.

Students are planning to stage something outside the City High vs. West High basketball game Friday night, according to a source close to students.

Parents and students have been upset about Hanson's recent decision to resign.  Last night, dozens of parents gathered at an Iowa City Community School District meeting to request the school board not approve Hanson's resignation. However, after deliberating behind closed doors – at Hanson's request – the board accepted the resignation by a 7-0 vote.

Hanson has given no public comment about why he chose to step down.  Many in the Iowa City community have speculated it may have had something to do with an article that appeared in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, in which Hanson called for district-wide boundary changes.  However, school district associate superintendent Jim Behle was quoted in the newspaper as saying district policy prohibits punishment of staff members for “expressing an ethical dissent.”

Hanson's resignation is slated to be effective June 30.

-- Jami Brinton, KCRG-TV9