By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — A York Prep student who reportedly carried on an affair with the school's principal had her volleyball jersey retired last year, but the school removed the jersey from its place of honor on a gym wall when news of the affair broke, a source said.
Principal Christopher Durnford, 39, was fired recently when the pricey private school on West 68th Street learned of his inappropriate relationship with the student, the New York Post reported.
The girl involved in the affair was a stand-out volleyball player whose number was retired in a school-wide ceremony at the end of the 2010 school year, said the source, a 2010 York Prep graduate.
Durnford, who was also the girls' volleyball coach, presented the framed jersey to his star player, crowning her most valuable player on the school's championship varsity team. Her jersey was hung prominently on York's gym wall.
This week, it's gone, according to the source.
The girl involved in the affair was described as "sweet," sociable and well-liked, known as a "pretty good, not amazing" student with top-notch volleyball skills.
News of her alleged affair with Durnford came as a shock to many of her peers.
"No one had any inkling this was going on," the former Prep student said. "Yeah, the volleyball girls spent a lot of time in (Durnford's) office and he would kind of be flirtatious, but it wasn’t to (her) specifically. Nobody even ever said, it seems like Durnford is having an affair."
Soruces told the Post the inappropriate relationship between Durnford and the girl didn't start until after she graduated and turned 18.
The 42-year-old York Prep was founded by a couple, Ronald and Jayme Stewart. Headmaster Ronald Stewart is Durnford's father-in-law.
Students had mixed emotions about Durnford, who was involved in expelling four students from York in 2010.
"Some people really loved him, some people really hated him, it depends," said the former York student. "Was he unusually mean? Was he unusually nice? No. I would say he’s like an average principal."
Durnford was in the spotlight in 2008 when he was caught embellishing his background as a cyclist. Durnford told students he had competed in the Olympics for the Canadian cycling team, but the story was false, the New York Post reported.
