Buhach Colony High School principal Robert Nunes was first put on administrative leave on Monday, Aug. 19
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Principal Robert Nunes dancing with mascot
An investigation into one high school principal’s behavior during a back-to-school rally has concluded, Merced Union High School District confirms with PEOPLE.
On Friday, Aug. 16, Buhach Colony High School principal Robert Nunes was filmed dancing with the school mascot Thor at the Atwater, Calif., school. On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the MUHSD announced Nunes resigned from his position as principal and accepted the position of associate principal at Buhach Colony High School. The resignation goes into effect on Thursday, Sept. 5.
MUHSD Executive Director Torrin Johnson, who served as Interim Principal while Nunes remained on administrative leave, will continue in the role until further notice. The principal position will open in the Spring of 2025 to find a permanent principal.
“This decision comes as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students and staff. Corrective action has been taken with all staff involved,” per the MUHSD statement.
Nunes did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Two days after the initial incident, Ryan Attebery, the father of a 14-year-old son at the school, shared his son’s video of what happened. “Am I a square or was this weird af for a principal to do,” he captioned the video, which began to circulate.
On Monday, Aug. 19, MUHSD put Nunes on administrative leave.
“This decision comes as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment,” MUHSD district spokesperson Viviana Fuentes said in a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, Aug. 21. “The District is conducting a comprehensive review of the situation. While the investigation is ongoing, Mr. Nunes will not be participating in any school-related responsibilities or activities.”
In the interim, Johnson and Buhach Colony Associate Principal David Rogers would serve as acting principals, the school district said.
This was Nunes’ first year as the Buhach Colony principal. He previously worked as an associate principal for MUHSD at El Capitan and Atwater High Schools.
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Attebery, 33, exclusively told PEOPLE that he posted the video because he intended to share it with other parents, saying, “ ‘Hey, man, like, this is what your kids see. You guys have the right to see it.’ That’s all it was for me.”
Attebery explained that Nunes’ students from other schools “are sticking up for him.”
“Everybody’s saying he is [a good guy]. He probably is, and it’s probably just a bad joke,” he told PEOPLE. “But at the same time, it doesn’t make it any less weird.”
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