Principal Farley

Principal Farley leads the middle school attended by young Wilson Knox, John Avery Whittaker, and Jack Allen. Tired of their constant conflict, he orders the three boys to cooperate on a science competition and brokers an agreement about splitting any prize money. When Wilson exposes Avery's unapproved luminol experiment, Farley listens before deciding punishment. He learns that Avery hopes to use the prize to pay for medical treatment needed by Jack's mother. Farley imposes consequences without expelling the boys and allows the project to become a second school entry. Firm but compassionate, he respects rules while considering the people affected by them. His decision frustrates rule-focused Wilson but illustrates a lesson Wilson remembers for years: being correct is not always the same as being loving.