Santa Ynez Principal Exits as Teacher of the Year Is ‘Unleashed’
Michael Niehoff Leads His First and Last Graduation Ceremony; Gregory Wolf Blocks Outside Noise to Focus on Students
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School bid farewell this Thursday to its graduating class of 2023. Among the 175 cap-and-gowned seniors were dozens of honors society members, scholarship recipients, and those recognized for their biliteracy. Ten graduates will compete in college athletics. Two have signed on with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The school also said goodbye to the person leading the outdoor commencement ceremony: Principal Michael Niehoff, a well-liked administrator who became collateral damage in the outside culture wars that have penetrated the campus.
After just one year at the helm, Niehoff announced this spring that he would not be returning in the fall. His decision came after the school’s Board of Education, bowing to external pressure from conservative valley voices, ordered the removal of Pride-themed crosswalks from the campus, prompting a walkout among LGBTQ students and their supporters. Shortly before that, accusations of racism were leveled against a vice principal.
