Bloomfield Hills High School principal on leave after guest's controversial speech

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Bloomfield Hills High School principal is on leave as the district is in the midst of a controversy spurred by comments made by a speaker at an assembly that some are calling anti-Semitic.

An email was sent to teachers announcing that Lawrence Stroughter was on leave and William Simms would be the interim principal during this time. Simms previously served as the principal of Thurston High School and retired in 2018. 

The email did not specify why Stroughter was on leave, but the news comes as the school is dealing with reactions to a speech given at a diversity assembly.

Read: Emergency Bloomfield Hills school meeting gets contentious

"Nobody can enter or exit Gaza without permission of the Israeli military. Not even the United Nations, not even a Palestinian needing urgent life-saving medical treatment," Huwaida Araff said in the speech.

Araff, one of several diversity speakers of various backgrounds for the school's program, told FOX 2 last week her comments were focused on the state of Israel and not the Jewish people themselves. She said she is married to a Jewish man.

However, some said the comments were anti-Israel.

The district released a letter apologizing ahead of an emergency school district meeting that got tense as people shared their thoughts.