Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials and Northwest School of the Arts parents, recently at odds over a threat to the principal's job, have united to cushion the impact of the principal's apparent suicide on students who saw him as a role model.

CMS sent more than 60 counselors, psychologists and social workers to the magnet school, which has about 1,000 students in grades 6-12, after news of Principal Barry Bowe's death broke Tuesday. Support for grieving students, faculty and parents will continue as long as needed, CMS leaders said Wednesday.

"One of the things I heard repeatedly at Northwest is the sense of family," said Karen Thomas, executive director of student services for CMS. "That makes it better in some ways, but when you feel a greater connection, loss becomes more challenging."

Parent Ginny Brien, who had spent the weekend mobilizing people to protect Bowe's job, said CMS has been "fabulous" in dealing with the aftermath of Bowe's death.

Bowe was found dead in his Huntersville home Monday, after missing a scheduled call to CMS' employee relations department. Police say the death appears to be suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Brien and Thomas, who both spoke at a CMS news conference Wednesday, agree that suicide by a beloved leader poses a special danger for adolescents and teens, who can already be emotional and prone to impulsiveness.

"How do we help our kids work through this so they don't see suicide as a good solution?" Brien said. "(Bowe) forgot who he was, how important he was and the impact it would have on his kids."

Thomas said counselors ask students whom they can turn to "when you have a problem that's bigger than you are." Often, she said, the answer is a friend or sibling. The people doing grief counseling - which includes volunteers from groups such as Teen Health Connection and Kindermourn - try to make sure students know an adult they can approach.

Parents are being urged to watch their children's reactions and make sure they get help if they're struggling: "We have to take time to know our children," Thomas said.

The incident that put Bowe's job in jeopardy was a December dance sponsored by a school club.

There was apparently no security present - parents said a scheduled officer did not show up - and there was a report that someone pulled a gun outside.

Questions about dance

Hattabaugh said Wednesday that the teacher responsible for organizing the dance resigned afterward. The district was looking into how the episode was handled, and Bowe met with someone in human resources on Thursday, Hattabaugh said. He said Bowe asked what his options were, and was told he could resign, retire or go through "due process." Bowe was asked to report back with his decision on Monday.

Hattabaugh said there had not been a decision to remove Bowe, but Bowe told parents over the weekend that he had to decide by Monday whether to resign or be fired. Brien and others contacted elected officials and media, arguing the penalty was "excessive, rushed, and short-sighted."

He said Bowe was "the consummate professional," and when he didn't follow up, Hattabaugh suspected something was wrong and sent CMS Police Chief Bud Cesena to Bowe's home, where he was found dead.

Hattabaugh said he believes CMS staff handled the investigation properly: "In retrospect, I don't think we would have handled it any differently."

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