Who is Mr Neely in running out of time?

In "Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Mr. Neely is the principal of the school in the historical setting where the protagonist, Jessie, lives. He embodies the oppressive authority and the unsettling reality of her world, which is revealed to be a controlled environment designed to simulate life in the 1840s. His character represents the challenges Jessie faces as she seeks to uncover the truth about her existence and escape the constraints imposed upon her.