Principals On Leave After Suspending Student Who Reported Assault

CHARLOTTE, NC — Hawthorne Academy's principal and vice-principal have been suspended after a local news station interviewed a student who said she was suspended after reporting a sexual assault.

Principal Diann Weston and assistant principal Nina Adams will receive pay during their suspension, WBTV reported.

The sophomore who reported the assault was suspended last month after telling school officials she was groped in a school bathroom. School officials said they found her claim dubious and punished her.

However, Charlotte police charged a youth at the school with sexual battery based on her report.

Other students have since come forward to report incidents they suffered.

Earnest Winston, Superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said in a letter last week that the district has a new task force looking at how the district handles allegations of misconduct.

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