UPDATED OCT. 2, 2007: A new acting principal has been named at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate, the troubled high school where 15-year-old Jordan Manners was gunned down.
Jim Spyropoulos was appointed to the post on Thursday by the Toronto District School Board and is charged with cleaning up the image of institution.
The previous principal and one vice-principal are on home assignment with pay after a newly-appointed school safety panel reported allegations it had received that staff didn't follow through on serious allegations first raised by a teacher. The other vice-principal has now retired as previously scheduled.
The School Safety Community Advisory panel, headed by prominent human rights lawyer Julian Falconer, was originally formed in response to Manners' death and complaints from staff about the school being unsafe.
The panel is investigating whether one or more members of the administration failed to report an allegation of sexual assault on a 14-year-old Muslim female student.
Friends of Spyropoulos believe he will bring a positive and encouraging energy to students and staff.
"He's very good at engaging the kids in a friendly but constructive manner," Det. Peter Duncan, who has known Spyropoulos for several years, told CTV News on Friday.
"He's not trying to be their best friend or their buddy. He's trying to facilitate them growing and them learning and them becoming stronger and better people. I've seen it work before."
Spyropoulos, who grew up in Regent Park, will bring two new vice-principals with him to the post.
He is known to parents in the Jane and Finch area after he served as vice-principal of neighbouring Emery Collegiate Institute.
With a report from CTV's Matet Nebres
