SAN DIEGO -- A former assistant principal at Helix High School talked to 10News about the reasons for his firing and allegations that he helped a 16-year-old student run away.

With his lawyer present, Joshua Stepner told 10News' Preston Phillips he was just trying to do the right thing in helping the student get away from her abusive mother.

However, the girl's family spoke to 10News and provided a different version of the story.

"When you're in my position and you're working hard on a daily basis, you try to do the best you can. That's what I feel like I've done," said Stepner.

After 14 years of teaching, Stepner is now out of a job. He was fired over allegations of helping the student run away. She is now living in Oregon.

Stepner's lawyer, Mark-Robert Blumer said, "He knew the rules, but he also knew that this child was no longer a student, so the rules did not apply … she had no guardian, because of that the rules did not apply, and really he was bringing her to a place of safety."

According to a court order obtained by 10News, Karen Flores, the cousin of the student's mother, was the student's guardian. The teen last lived with Flores in her Lemon Grove home.

"That's not true, she was a student at that time," Flores said of Blumer's statement. "I had guardianship … and he just came and I just went out to a study that night and my daughters were outside, and he just came and took her. They got the license plate of his vehicle."

Flores said a couple days later she called police and reported the girl missing.

"He didn't knock on my door and ask an adult here about her, was she able to leave or what. She's 16; he did really wrong," Flores said.

Stepner is due in court next week to face a formal charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a misdemeanor.