Principal Resigns at School Where Horse Hurt Spectators

Principal Robert Caplan has resigned abruptly from his post at a Porter Ranch elementary school where a horse injured 11 people last fall, saying he acted in the best interests of his school.

“In an effort to unify our staff and community, I have decided to accept another position within the district,” Caplan wrote in a letter addressed to the “Castlebay Lane Elementary School Family.”

Eleven people, including 10 children, were injured during a Halloween event when a horse in a school parade spooked, running into a crowd of spectators. Caplan had first said the horse was on school property without his permission, but then said he had approved it.

Caplan had been on the job for only two months when the accident occurred.

He drew fire for denying that he told a fifth-grade teacher the horse--a white Arabian named “Shirah”--could be brought to the school. The horse belonged to a student of teacher Randi Lieber.

Lieber was riding Shirah into the playground at the finale of a Halloween costume parade when the horse panicked and galloped into spectators. Witnesses believe blaring music from speakers, combined with the crowd and strong winds frightened the horse.

One parent suffered a concussion and facial cuts in the incident. None of the injured children missed school. In a letter last November, Caplan apologized for “the misleading statements that I have made.”

A parent who asked not to be identified said that she was not surprised Caplan resigned. Teachers never forgave the principal, she said, although many parents did after he publicly apologized.

A teachers union representative at Castlebay said the teachers’ feelings toward Caplan “had nothing to do” with the principal’s voluntary reassignment.

“I have no idea what discussions took place to reach this decision,” said Vivian Ihori. She said the decision came from the district, although she would not elaborate.

For her part, Lieber said only she was “trying to put all this behind me and move forward. Parents and staff have been very supportive, and Mr. Caplan did apologize. I don’t have any bad feelings.”

LAUSD turned down a claim Jan. 6 made by Mark and Dana Elsbernd, the owners of the horse, who alleged the district is responsible for damages or any lawsuits that may be filed.

The district and the Elsbernds disagree on whether school officials said they would take legal responsibility from any fallout resulting from the Oct. 28 incident.

Dana Elsbernd claims she received verbal assurances from school and district officials that if anything happened, the school and district would be responsible.

District officials sent her a letter denying they ever made such verbal assurances.