WATERBORO, Maine — Dozens of students at Massabesic High School walked out of class Friday, demanding their school resource officer get his job back.
The SRO, York County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Solomon, was filmed by his girlfriend, Danica Briggs, in a TikTok video she said she recorded the previous October.
In the video, the couple shared a sexually suggestive joke that Briggs said was meant as a private laugh among them and their friends on social media. She explained to NEWS CENTER Maine on Friday that she thought her account was private.
“We never do anything like this and we had seen the trend on TikTok,” she said. “[We] thought it was humorous and just decided to do it.”
But the video wasn’t private. Briggs, who said she was a substitute teacher at the school, said that when RSU 57 Superintendent Larry Malone saw the video on or before January 6, he told them both not to come back.
“I think this was a difficult decision for them to make,” Briggs said. “But I know their position and I wasn’t angry. I can see the reasoning behind it, but, it’s still heartbreaking. It’s my personal life.”
In 2013, the National Association for School Resource Officers named Solomon the best SRO in the country.
Outside the school Friday, students marched through the street before dispersing. Some chanted, “We want Solomon!” and “Bring back Solomon!”
One adult, appearing to be a parent in the student pickup line, held a sign out their car window with a similar message of support.
On Thursday, a person answering the phone at the RSU 57 administrative office said Malone was not available for an interview.
On Friday, a person answering the door intercom at the office again turned us away.
That afternoon, Malone sent the following statement: “There was an incident reported regarding the School Resource Officer SRO assigned to Regional School Unit 57. RSU 57 contracts with the York County Sheriff’s Department to provide an SRO. The SRO that was assigned to RSU 57 remains an employee of the Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department is currently conducting an internal investigation and has assigned a replacement for this contracted position. We appreciate the support that is being provided.”
York County Sheriff William King would not discuss Solomon’s status over the phone on Thursday but sent the following statement Friday: "The York County Sheriff’s Office has a contract with RSU 57 to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) to the district. The sheriff’s office believes it is a great benefit to have a uniformed presence in the school and RSU Administrators agree. Part of that contract pertains to ‘standards of performance’ which requires the sheriff’s office and the school to mutually resolve all issues pertaining to the nature of the services and the conduct of the SRO. The sheriff's office values its collaborative relationship with RSU 57 and recently, an issue arose involving the SRO which is being investigated. In the interim, the SRO has been reassigned to other duties and a replacement SRO has been assigned. Personnel issues are not public and there will be no further statements or information released.”
Solomon was working his beat late into the evening on Friday and was unavailable before this report was filed.
His daughter, Gabrielle, met for an interview Friday morning. She said she believes what she saw as some off-duty fun shouldn’t cost her father his decade-long position with the school.
“I personally don’t see an issue with it, because to me, people have lives outside of their professions,” she said.
Neither Malone nor King indicated when the investigation was expected to conclude.