Photo: Fayette County Sheriff's Office
The principal of Southwest Elementary School in Williston, Tennessee, was arrested for failing to report a fight that left a teacher with a possible concussion.
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office said that a fourth-grade student got into a physical altercation with fifth-grade social studies teacher Demetrious Bradley on February 2. The student was removed from their class for acting out and was sent to Bradley's classroom.
While Bradley was trying to talk to the female student, she became violent and started hitting his hands. Then, she grabbed a metal Stanley Cup and hit him across the face and in the head.
Bradley was sent home after suffering a possible concussion.
Officials said that after the incident, the school's principal, Fabre Ford, covered up the fight.
A few days after the incident, the school's resource officer, Randy Collins, asked Ford why she didn't report the fight, and she told him that she had handled the situation.
Collins wasn't satisfied with her response and began conducting an investigation. He told officials that Ford actively interfered with his investigation, telling witnesses not to cooperate and refusing to answer any questions about what happened.
The Sheriff's Office noted that the investigation revealed that Bradley may have instigated the fight with the student.
Ford was taken into custody and charged with tampering with or fabricating evidence in the investigation of an aggravated assault.
"We are disheartened by these allegations relating to an incident at Southwest Elementary School. As a district, we will be transparent and cooperate fully with law enforcement. We ask for patience and respect as the investigation regarding the incident is conducted. We are fully committed to working with law enforcement to resolve this matter quickly," Fayette County Public Schools said in a statement.