Fairfield High School has canceled its freshman prom in the wake of a confrontation between police and a 16-year-old sophomore that went viral on social media.
The prom was scheduled for Saturday and was to have doubled as an awards ceremony for student achievements during the school year.
The cancellation came in an email to students a week after bystander video showed a Fairfield police officer pinning down and striking 16-year-old Maurice Williams. The incident triggered the officer’s reassignment and the police chief’s pledge of an independent investigation.
“I am so sorry to do this, but out of an abundance of caution, freshman prom has been canceled,” James Holliday, the school’s public education program coordinator, said in an email dated Tuesday.
“This dance was supposed to be a celebration of the work you have done this year, and I still want to honor that,” he wrote. “Over the next couple of days you will receive your recognition in one of your classes.”
The timing of the decision came too late for students who had already purchased suits and dresses for the event.
The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District said the prom was called off because of low ticket sales. Ilana Israel Samuels, executive director of communications and community engagement for the district, said only three tickets were sold.
The school district announced last week it would conduct its own investigation into the events that led to the beating of Williams by Fairfield Officer Bianca Camacho.
Video taken May 19 appeared to show Camacho strike the teen several times in the head when responding to a fight at the high school.
“We will ensure all partnerships with law enforcement are strictly aligned with our goals for schools to be student-centered environments grounded in safety, equity and care for all,” the district said in a statement.
Police Chief Dan Marshall said on social media last week that an outside organization would conduct an independent investigation of the incident.
The chief didn’t identify what outside body would conduct the review or when it would be completed.
“The officer has been administratively reassigned in the department as we navigate this emotional and challenging time,” Marshall said.
Williams’ family said he suffered from headaches and “dizzy spells” since the incident, which came after a school resource officer, responding to a fight, called for backup from other officers.
Bystander footage showed Williams being restrained by School Resource Officer James Lewis when Camacho seized the student and threw him to the ground, punching him while shouting, “Give me your ******* hands!”