The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education has heard a bit more from the public and staff about a confrontation between Superintendent Simone Griffin and a student that last week prompted Griffin to issue a public statement calling the incident “regrettable and unfortunate.”

During a meeting Tuesday, retired MSP Trooper Maurice Burton shared the same information he says he shared with the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety.

Burton said he was working security that day when he was notified that a student had run out of class to start a fight. He brought the student to the cafeteria, where Dr. Griffin was located. According to Burton, the student was loud and agitated. Dr. Griffin told her to lower her voice and to call her mother.

Burton said after he stepped away briefly, the student’s behavior escalated.

“So she was lunging and going toward Dr. Griffin,” Burton said. “So myself and [another security guard] were holding her back, telling her to quiet herself down while Dr. Griffin walked into the hallways. Dr. Griffin, at that time, the student tried to break away from me and [the other security guard], and we was telling her to focus on us and calm herself down.”

Burton said Dr. Griffin moved into the hallway as the student continued making threats.

After the student calmed down, Burton said she was released to be moved to a secure location, but she again encountered Griffin in the hall and made threats, prompting Griffin to take another defensive posture.

Trustees didn’t comment, and no action on Griffin was taken at the meeting. The board did go into a more than two-hour closed session to discuss unnamed staff issues, but took no action on that matter upon returning.