Florida high school principal removed after defending Texas officer

[June 11, 2015]  (Reuters) - A Florida high school principal has been removed from his job after commenting online in support of the Texas police officer who resigned after a video surfaced showing him manhandling a black bikini-clad teenager and pulling his gun on other black teens, according to officials and local media.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools said in a brief statement on Wednesday that North Miami Senior High School principal Alberto Iber had been removed. It added a replacement would be announced shortly.

The statement did not specify what prompted the move, but stated that district employees "are required to conduct themselves, both personally and professionally, in a manner that represents the school district's core values."

The Miami Herald newspaper on Wednesday reported that Iber had posted a comment on an article published on its website supportive of McKinney, Texas police Corporal Eric Casebolt.

"He did nothing wrong," Iber wrote in a comment that displayed his Facebook picture, name, school and title, according to the newspaper. "He was afraid for his life. I commend him for his actions."

Casebolt, who is white, resigned on Tuesday after being seen in a video responding to a disturbance at a pool party last Friday where he appeared to target black youths, an incident that has added to a national outcry against racial bias in U.S. policing.

Casebolt's attorney, Jane Bishkin, said on Wednesday that the policeman was emotionally fraught at the time of the incident after having earlier responded to two suicide calls.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco)

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