COLUMBIA, Md. — Atholton High School’s principal will remain on leave for the school year after a brief, heated incident was caught on camera between him and a group of students earlier this month.
The 45-second video, obtained exclusively by WMAR-2 News, shows Principal Nick Novak verbally disciplining a group of students in the senior cafeteria. He accuses them of throwing food and appears to mop up spilt milk on the table with someone's homework, before he throws the wad of wet papers towards the students.
Novak can be heard on video saying, “Don’t you talk to me like that again!” and ordering students to the office.
WMAR-2 News' Blair Sabol obtains exclusive video of incident at Atholton High School
“A bunch of kids were yelling, I had thought that there was going to be a fight that was going to happen and then I saw Mr. Novak, like, stomping in,” Penalosa said. “It was a little shocking, but at the same time, Mr. Novak is known for being passive-aggressive or losing his temper.”
It happened sometime in early April but it’s unclear exactly when Novak was placed on leave.
The school district alerted families last Friday, April 24th.
One parent told WMAR-2 News they felt there was nothing wrong with Novak’s actions after reviewing the video.
But students like Zachary Burnett feel otherwise.
“There’s a different level of what you can and can’t do, and I feel like that was definitely something that he shouldn’t have been doing,” Burnett said.
The district has a blanket ban on cellphone use at school.
Student Mikayala Washington said she feels that Novak may not have faced consequences without it.
“This would not have happened if nobody caught it on camera, so it’s lucky it did,” she said.
Novak has worked for the Howard County Public School System for 26 years, and served as a principal for the last 11. His longest tenure was at Howard High School from 2015-2023.
He's been recognized by several organizations, including “Principal of the Year” by the Maryland Association of Student Councils, “Best Principal” by Howard magazine, and “State Principal of the Year” by the Maryland Association of Secondary School Principals, according to his biography on the District's website.
Director of Communications Brian Bassett shared the following statement:
“We are aware of the video circulating that shows an emotional interaction between the principal of Atholton High School and a group of students in the cafeteria. This incident occurred in early April. It is extremely disappointing that the circumstances escalated to the point captured in the video.
The Principal is currently on assignment and will not be returning to Atholton High School during the 2025–2026 school year. We are confident that the administrators and staff at the school will work to maintain a healthy and supportive learning environment for all students for the remainder of the school year.”
While the next steps remain unclear, some feel Novak’s temporary leave should be made permanent.
