020214_HOFFMAN.jpg

In this Jan. 19, 2014 photo, Philip Seymour Hoffman poses for a portrait at The Collective and Gibson Lounge Powered by CEG, during the Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah. Hoffman, who won the Oscar for best actor in 2006 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in "Capote, " was found dead Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in his New York apartment. He was 46.

(Victoria Will/Invision/AP)

A Pioneer High School student has been reprimanded after calling for an unauthorized moment of silence Monday for actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who was found dead Sunday morning of an apparent drug overdose.

Monday, during morning announcements — which are scripted and read by students — a student at the Ann Arbor high school asked for a moment of silence for the renowned actor.

Hoffman, 46, was found with a needle in his arm in the bathroom of a Manhattan apartment he had been renting as an office about 11:35 a.m. Sunday, according to media reports. The actor had struggled with drug abuse in the past.

The morning announcement scripts are approved by building administrators—but in this instance, the student decided to add the moment of silence for Hoffman without permission, said Liz Margolis, district spokeswoman.

Interim Pioneer Principal Tamber Woodworth was in a meeting Monday morning when the announcements occurred and immediately talked to the student responsible, Margolis said.

Woodworth told the student that the moment of silence was inappropriate for the school day. Though the student may hold Hoffman in high esteem for his acting career, Hoffman’s death is entwined with overtones of his struggles with drug abuse, Margolis said.

The student was warned that deviating from the announcement script again would result in the student losing his or her morning announcement privileges, Margolis said. The student was not suspended and did not receive a detention.

Previously, morning announcements at Pioneer were read by a principal, Margolis said.

After Pioneer Principal Cindy Leaman was reassigned this January to head AAPS’ new virtual academy, the district brought former AAPS administrator Tamber Woodworth out of retirement to head Pioneer for the spring semester.

Woodworth wanted students to read the announcements, Margolis said.

“Every once in a while these things happen when you put a microphone in the hand of a student,” Margolis said.

Amy Biolchini is the K-12 education reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at amybiolchini@mlive.com, (734) 623-2552 or on Twitter. Find all Washtenaw County K-12 education stories on MLive.com.