The circumstances leading up to the incident are unclear.
The Age has been told the president of the school council supports Mr Warner and was attempting to contact Victoria's Department of Education and the Education Minister on Friday morning.
A petition to reinstate Mr Warner as principal, created by Manor Lakes parent Mark England, had garnered about 400 signatures just before 9am on Friday.
"Steve has only been around for a couple of years, and he has just turned that school around," said Mr England.
"It's a high school and a primary school with over 2000 kids. It needed to be someone who had done it before with results... he's come in and turned the school around."
"I will take my kids out of the school if he goes... I've had parents call me yesterday. As soon as they saw it, they thought, 'We are going to lose Steve'," he said.
"I think a lot of parents are of the same opinion... What we are trying to do is put our hand up and say, 'Yes, he's done this, let people investigate'. But these parents support Steve."
Police confirmed on Friday morning that they had been notified.
"Police are investigating after a report was made regarding the treatment of a student at a school in Wyndham Vale on January 31," a police spokeswoman said.
"It is yet to be determined if the nine-year-old boy was injured during the incident. The exact circumstances are being investigated."
Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said the footage was "appalling and concerning".
"Let me be very clear, I will not tolerate this kind of completely unacceptable behaviour in our schools," he said in a statement.
"There will be an independent investigation into the staff member's conduct, and he has been immediately stood down while this takes place."
Mr Warner started at Manor Lakes at the end of 2016. He previously worked at Footscray City Primary School, where he was the executive principal for five years.
Victorian Education Department policy stipulates that a teacher may take any reasonable action that is immediately required to restrain a student from acts of behaviour dangerous to other members of staff, the student or any other person.
A spokeswoman said: “The department is aware of this video, and has launched an investigation into this matter.
“All school staff are expected to uphold the department’s values, and abide by [Victoria's] Child Safe Standards.”
The boy's family have been approached for comment.
Melissa Cunningham reports breaking news for The Age.
Simone is a breaking news reporter for The Age. Most recently she covered breaking news for The Australian in Melbourne.
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