Two Memphis City Schools principals indicted, accused of not reporting assault

Two city schools principals were indicted Friday by a Shelby County grand jury for failing to report a student assault last fall at White Station High School.

David Mansfield, White Station principal, and Eric Harris, now principal at East High, failed to report an incident that allegedly left a 17-year-old student bleeding on the floor after being beaten by several students, according to an affidavit.

Harris was an assistant principal at White Station when the incident occurred last September.

“I would like to make it clear that both principals have my full support, and they will remain in their respective positions as they go through their due process,” Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash said in a statement.

“These administrators deserve the opportunity to have this matter heard in court, and I ask that the community reserve judgment until that process has been completed.”

The mood at White Station Friday was somber as word traveled among pockets of angry students and parents who believe the two are being made an example due to White Station’s high visibility.

“Mr. Mansfield and Mr. Harris are men of extraordinary character and deeply committed to the education of their students,” said parent Susan Edleman.

The crime is a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, Mansfield and Harris face a maximum fine of $2,500.

Last fall, the girl’s mother told police her daughter had been beaten and kicked by a male and four female students inside the school shortly after the day was over.

The mother said the girl’s knees were scraped and bruised from being dragged and that she had contusions on her chest and back from being kicked.

One of the students was charged and found not guilty in Juvenile Court.

“There are two reasons for this,” said Atty. Gen. Bill Gibbons. “There was contradictory testimony as to who was the primary aggressor in the fight.” Some evidence suggested the victim was the aggressor, he said.

“Two, because of the failure to report, there was no crime scene evidence. This incident occurred on a Friday. The Police Department was not able to conduct their investigation until the next Monday. By that time any blood or other evidence had been cleaned up.”

Gibbons said the not-guilty verdict in Juvenile Court had no bearing on the case involving the principals.

“Which of the students was primarily responsible for the altercation and whether or not they should have been charged has absolutely nothing to do with the responsibility for the school officials for properly reporting this.”

The girl’s parents reported the incident to police Friday night.

School footage of White Station’s homecoming game that night shows her in uniform, performing with the band’s flag carriers during halftime.

In the spring of 2009 — after a school administrator had been charged with erasing sexual content from a student’s cell phone and several alleged school-related rapes were not reported — Gibbons said he would not tolerate school officials investigating incidents on their own and/or destroying evidence.

At Cash’s request, a letter Gibbons wrote on April 23, 2009, was sent to faculty and staff to clarify the law on reporting issues.

The principals waived their Juvenile Court hearing, pleaded not guilty and asked to have their cases transferred to Criminal Court.

With no prior criminal record, both are eligible for diversion, a special form of probation in which their records would be cleared, likely in a year, if they meet certain conditions, Gibbons said.

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