A popular principal who helped lead the fight for a gay-friendly high school in Chicago is leaving the district.

Rito Martinez has been principal of Social Justice High School in Little Village since it opened in 2005. Martinez told students at an assembly yesterday that he chose to live in Oak Park so he could get better access to services for a son who has Down’s syndrome. But that violates residency rules that require most CPS employees to live within the city limits.

Senior Channing Redditt said students at the tight-knit school responded with a mix of anger and sadness to the news.

REDDITT: Many students were asking, “Can we fight this? What can we do to stop this from happening?”

Social Justice High School will be honored next week as a model for getting youth to participate in local civics. Martinez was named a Golden Apple Teacher in 2002. This fall he co-led a fight to start a gay-friendly high school, though the effort fizzled out.

A CPS spokeswoman said Martinez has already resigned and will leave the school in June. She said the situation is a stark reminder that policies must be followed.