School officials in Newport have placed the principal of Rogers High School on leave for the remainder of the school year. The officials said during Principal Jared Vance’s tenure, administrators did not sufficiently address “cultural issues” that ultimately “contributed” to an assault that occurred on campus.
School Committee chair James Dring made the announcement on Wednesday in a short statement that accompanied the release of an investigation into the alleged assault of a student that occurred in a school locker room in October.
Newport police arrested four students late last year in connection with the incident. A 16-year-old student faces two felony counts of assault on a person with severe impairments. Three others were charged with assault. Police have not identified any of the students because they are minors.
The school committee hired former Rhode Island State Police Col. Steven O’Donnell to investigate the allegations. At the time, Dring said he was “heartbroken” by videos showing the abuse.
A summary of the report, dated January 2026, “identifies systemic failures in communication, supervision, disciplinary consistency, and trust between staff and administration.”
O’Donnell “determined that many cultural issues have developed at Rogers High School over time that were ignored or the path of least resistance was taken,” and the report says these “and other factors contributed” to the alleged assault.
The executive summary of the report makes 27 recommendations for improving the school climate, but makes no specific accusations against Vance.
Vance was hired as Rogers principal in 2017, according to a bio on the school’s website.
