Rutherford County Principal Dismissed After Dragging Student in 2019

A Rutherford County Principal has been dismissed after she and a special education teacher dragged a 10-year-old autistic boy nearly 600 feet through the hallway of Walter Hill Elementary in 2019.  Late last month, the Rutherford County School Board voted to terminate Principal Helen Campbell who plans to appeal.  The original charges of misdemeanor child abuse and tampering with evidence were dropped, however Campbell was later indicted by a grand jury on the same charges. She accepted a plea agreement which ensures she will have no long-term criminal record.  At least one School Board member said she thought Campbell’s termination was wrong because the former principal has not been given a chance to explain her actions that day as she was attempting to re-locate the non-compliant student.