MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some Sheffield High students are calling on Memphis Shelby County school leaders to take further steps after their principal was temporarily reassigned to the Central Office.

This all comes after an array of complaints made by students and parents against the principal, Dr. Melanie Black. Students are calling for the resignation of Dr. Black and say they won’t stop until their voices are heard.

Artasia Grayer, a senior at Sheffield High School, says her prom is Thursday night, and for a moment, she thought she’d never be able to experience it.

“I’m excited about prom because at first, when everything else was going on, you know, twelfth graders were told, we weren’t going to be able to go to prom,” Grayer said. “But now that I can be able to go to prom, I’m excited about it.”

For Grayer, school felt more like prison than a learning environment.

Locked restrooms, teacher shortages, excessive suspension, and administrative retaliation are some of the issues students say they face daily.

MSCS temporarily reassigned principal, Dr. Melanie Black, to the central office to “limit distractions and allow the completion of a fair and thorough review.”

“They reassigned her, and that’s a problem because if she comes back, we’ve got other kids here,” Grayer said. “I got a little sister and brother who go here, I don’t want them to go through the same thing I went through.”

MSCS did not say how long Dr. Black would serve in the temporary role, but that she would assist with various tasks, including academic planning.

“I just hope no students don’t ever be scared to say their opinion, no matter how someone might feel about it. That’s how you feel. You want to speak. When you speak, you don’t have to be scared,” Grayer said.