CHARLOTTE , N.C.,None — Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools confirmed Tuesday morning the principal of Northwest School of the Arts died Monday night.
Sources said the death appears to have been a suicide. Barry Bowe was found in his garage and died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to sources, representatives from the school system went to Bowe’s house to check on him after unreturned phone calls. Police were called and that’s when the principal was found in his garage.
A CMS spokeswoman said grief counselors will be at the school Tuesday.
Monday, parents rallied in support of Bowe, who sources said had been placed on administrative leave. School officials said Bowe had taken a personal day Friday and was still employed with the school system.
"I feel sick. This man gave my daughter and so many others inspiration and a place to finally feel accepted," said Ameilia Whitted on a Facebook post.
Many students wore black as they returned to Northwest as a statement of mourning.
"He was too good of a principal to get fired," Zoe Melton, a 9th grader at Northwest School of the Arts said.
She was aware of criticism surrounding Barry Bowe, but as she and her two sisters walked to class Tuesday, they had nothing but positive things to say about a man they say cared very strongly about his students and their education.
“He was a good principal. He made Northwest. He represented Northwest. I went there because of him,” said another student.
Seventh grader Katrina Carr said she wasn't sure how she would handle the day.
"I'll try to maybe not think about it, try to get through my day without having all that pressure on my mind about what happened and try to focus and concentrate on what i have to do," Carr said.
Even her mother, Kim Singletary, who said she worked with Bowe in the past, was struggling to come to terms with his death.
"It's really kind of hard for me to take right now. I can't believe it. I'm still in shock," she said.
According to sources, CMS gave Bowe the choice to resign or be fired due to a student dance in December, when someone pulled a gun.
CMS has been investigating the lack of security at the dance, which included teens from outside the school.
Earlier this month, an assistant principal at Northwest apologized to students and parents for making inappropriate comments to female arts students.
Those students said they were told that wearing leotards and tights in school hallways could motivate men to rape them.