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MEAD, Colo. (KDVR) — After the Mead High School principal resigned less than three weeks after a controversial photo of several students garnered national attention, parents and students are reacting to the move.

The photo appears to show three students reenacting the murder of George Floyd.

“It doesn’t feel like somebody who just resigned. It feels like somebody who was forced out,” said Dan Brewington, one of several parents disappointed by Ayer’s departure.

The St. Vrain Valley School District sent a letter to families informing them of the news of Ayer’s departure. However, the letter did not say if it was directly connected to the incident involving the students.

Brewington has a unique perspective on the situation. Not only were his two sons among the few black students at Mead School this year, he also knows one of the students in the photo allegedly reenacting the death of George Floyd.

“It’s too much of a reaction. It’s some dumb kids who made a stupid mistake. I think this incident has been blown way out of proportion,” Brewington said.

However, others feel differently.

Annika Nelson graduated from Mead High School in 2018. She claims the culture at Mead High School has long needed fixing.

“In the hallways you can feel racial tension. You can always feel people saying things behind your back because of the color of your skin or the way you look,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the photo was appalling, but she claims she’s even more bothered by the school’s response. She said school administrators and the district should be doing more to address what happened.

She hopes the resignation of Ayers is just the start.

“Own it. Own that it was wrong and figure out a way to move on and just move on, but with it, because you can’t ignore this stuff,” she said.

The NAACP Boulder County Chapter and several other local organizations have asked the district to publicly address the Mead Incident.

The NAACP has organized a virtual town hall and panel discussion this week.

It will happen Thursday, June 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. Advanced registration is required.