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SANDY — The principal of Alta High School announced his early retirement Thursday amid recent claims of racial incidents between students.

Principal Mont Widerberg -- along with Assistant Principal Mark Montague -- were placed on paid leave after the incident in which a student wore a white pillowcase over his head to a school spirit bowl, which some felt resembled the infamous Ku Klux Klan symbol.

The district "wishes Mr. Widerberg well in his retirement, and thanks him for his more than 30 years of service to the patrons and students of the Jordan and Canyons school districts,” said Canyons School District spokesman Jeff Haney.

Alta High Principal Mont Widerberg

Widerberg was planning on stepping down from his job as principal at the end of the school year to take another job within the district, but he won't be filling that position any more.

"He is a retired employee," Haney said.

During the investigation of the spirit assembly incident, district officials say they have uncovered evidence of other "serious incidents" that have occurred at the school over the past year. The district chose to place the administrators on leave while the civil rights office conducted an investigation.

Ray Jenson, a former Alta teacher and Bingham High administrator, is serving as interim principal at the Sandy school.

The reaction from students and parents about the incident has been mixed. One multiracial student voiced his disapproval about the spirit assembly incident on his blog, but some have said the situation was misinterpreted and overblown.

"It had everything to do with the spirit rally and nothing to do with racism," student Ammon Barker said. "You make costumes for the thing, just try to show as much school spirit as you can. ... They misinterpreted it."

Email:averzello@ksl.com

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