Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article identified Dez-Ann Romain as Haitian American; however she was born in Trinidad.
Dez-Ann Romain, principal of the Brooklyn Democracy Academy, a public high school, always kept her office neat and freshened with new flowers, and kept the school decorated with inspirational quotes.
“She was one of the most innovative school leaders I’ve ever worked with — her students just adored her,” said Courtney Winkfield, a New York City schools official who mentored Ms. Romain.
Ms. Romain died Monday from complications of the coronavirus — the first known death of a New York City public school staff member from the virus.
Ms. Romain’s death drove home what the authorities have been warning all along, that the virus does not just kill the old and medically frail. As of now, only five people under the age of 45 in New York City have died from the virus.
Dez-Ann Romain, principal of the Brooklyn Democracy Academy, a public high school, always kept her office neat and freshened with new flowers, and kept the school decorated with inspirational quotes.
“She was one of the most innovative school leaders I’ve ever worked with — her students just adored her,” said Courtney Winkfield, a New York City schools official who mentored Ms. Romain.
Ms. Romain died Monday from complications of the coronavirus — the first known death of a New York City public school staff member from the virus.
As of Tuesday, there were 15,597 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York City, with 192 deaths connected to the disease.
While the authorities warn that there will be many more fatalities from the virus, Ms. Romain’s struck a chord — the early death of a prominent New Yorker who has touched many people’s lives.
Ronda Phillips, 48, the principal at Kappa V High School, which uses the same building as the academy, is also hospitalized, school officials said.
“She was a healthy, vibrant, energetic 36-year-old woman who had one of the toughest jobs anybody could have, and she did it with resilience,” Ms. Winkfield said. Continuereading