For 2 years, a Tennessee elementary school principal has been on unpaid suspension for dragging a special needs student down the hallway by his ankles.
On November 4, 2019, former principal Helen Campbell made a request to an 11 year old autistic student. When the student didn’t obey both Campbell and teacher, Bonnie Marlar, dragged him 570 feet.
The student was dragged by his ankles almost the length of 2 football fields, with his shirt rising and his skin rubbing against the floor. He had minor injuries to his head following the Nov 4 events.
While in the administration office, Marlar and Campbell held the student up by the loops of his pants, pulled him by the arm out of a chair, and dragged him by the wrists.
Both the teacher and former principal faced child abuse charges. A judge dismissed these charges. Later, a grand jury charged them both with child abuse and neglect.
Campbell was accused of destroying evidence. She attempted to video footage from Nov 4, 2019. Campbell pled no contest to charges of destruction of government records and neglect.
Marlar and Campbell are completing probation to have their convictions removed from their records.
The school board voted to fire Campbell by a vote of 5-2 on May 26, 2022.
