Students Suspended for Sharing Picture of Principal Putting Student in Chokehold

Principal insists it's not what it seems

A shocking photo of a high school principal appearing to grab a student in a chokehold has led to the suspension of 10 students after its posting on Facebook.

But the California principal who's seen clutching the gasping ninth-grader around the neck, resulting in her wearing a neck brace, says the photo is not what it seems.

"I had separated her and she began struggling and I was pushing her away to get her away from the area and she fell down," Pittsburgh High School Principal Todd Whitmire told the Contra Costa Times.