Mount Pleasant assistant principal requests donations from staff to student's 'coyote'

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Providence Public School District said it is investigating an email sent to teachers Thursday night.

The assistant principal at Mount Pleasant High School sent the email, soliciting money from staff to help a student they say came to the country illegally.

The donations were going to pay the person who helped bring the student to the United States.

"We have a student who came to America with 'Coyote,' which is a group that helps people," read the email from Assistant Principal Stefani Harvey. "This group gives you a time frame to make a payment of $5,000 to those, who bring them to the states."

The Department of Justice defines coyotes as "human smugglers."

The email says the student needs to raise another $2,000 to meet the $5,000 goal by Feb. 1, 2023.

A spokesperson for the Providence Public School District confirmed the validity of the email to NBC 10 News.

"I can confirm that the email in question was sent to staff at Mount Pleasant High School. The school’s principal immediately took steps to have a retraction issued when she learned of the email. The Providence Public School District is now investigating," the statement said.

Maribeth Calabro, the president of the Providence Teachers Union, also confirmed the school district would be investigating.

"We are aware of the email sent by the asst principal at MPHS," read a statement from Calabro to NBC 10 News. "We know that the District leadership started an immediate investigation. Our concern is for the safety and well being of the student."

According to the Department of Justice, migrants pay coyotes fees to guide them across the border.

It's considered a billion-dollar business.