Elementary school principal charged with child cruelty now on leave, GA officials say
An elementary school principal charged with multiple counts of child cruelty is now on leave in Georgia, officials said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was asked to look into allegations that Anastagia Carter, the principal of Indian Creek Elementary School in Douglas, took part in an on-campus “incident” that involved a student.
Investigators in a Feb. 24 news release didn’t share attorney information for Carter, a 51-year-old Douglas resident.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Coffee County School System said it was aware of allegations tied to the elementary school’s principal.
“When this matter first came to the attention of the school system, a report was immediately made to the Department of Family and Children Services and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation,” the district wrote Feb. 24. “The principal was immediately placed and remains on administrative leave.”
The district also directed questions about the case to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which said it discovered a second “incident” involving a student. But state officials didn’t share additional details about the allegations in their news release and didn’t share more information with McClatchy News on Feb. 27, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office took Carter into custody Feb. 24. Carter was charged “with two counts of 1st degree cruelty to a child, two counts of 3rd degree cruelty to a child, two counts of false imprisonment, and two counts of simple battery,” state officials wrote.
An investigation continues, and anyone with information is asked to contact state agents at 912-389-4103, call an anonymous tip line at 800-597-8477, visit gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or use the smartphone application called See Something Send Something.
Douglas is roughly 130 miles southwest of Savannah.
This story was originally published February 27, 2023 at 12:02 PM with the headline "Elementary school principal charged with child cruelty now on leave, GA officials say."
