Students at Connetquot High School held a protest Friday after the school district says their principal requested an immediate leave of absence.

Video sent to News 12 from some students inside the school showed the sit-in demonstration that started just after noon demanding the principal's return.

The Connetquot Central School District sent out an email saying, "For personal reasons, Principal Michael Moran has submitted a request for a leave of absence from his position, effective immediately."

However, many students told News 12 they don't believe the district and feel there is another reason for Moran's immediate departure.

"They said he was the one who decided to quit, but I don't think that's true," said Rocky Moussa, of Bohemia.

Some thought Moran's departure was related to a schoolwide search on Friday, but the district superintendent said, "This shift in personnel status did not have any connection to the emergency search drill that occurred earlier this morning."

Suffolk County police responded to the protest, and the situation was enough for some parents to pick up their children early.

"Nobody knew if one of the principals got fired or if there were fights," says Christine Zopfy, of Ronkonkoma. "Kids were protesting, nobody was in class, it was just chaos."

The school says it had a normal dismissal time and that nothing unusual was discovered as part of the emergency search drill.