A Savannah-Chatham County school police sergeant says he faced pay cuts and demotion after reporting sexual abuse allegations against a fellow officer. The claims, now at the center of a new lawsuit, raise questions about how the district handles reports of misconduct and whistleblower protections.
🚨 Why It Matters: Parents and students trust school police to keep kids safe. When officers report possible abuse, the district’s response can shape whether families feel protected or silenced. This case could impact how future complaints are handled in Savannah schools.
🕵️ What’s Happening: Sergeant Carl Quarterman, a longtime school resource officer, says he followed state law and district policy by reporting a credible claim that a police lieutenant had sexually abused a female student. Quarterman and two other officers brought the report to Police Chief Terry Enoch in early August last year.
- Quarterman says the accused lieutenant stayed on the job around students for weeks after the report.
- According to the lawsuit, the district delayed launching an investigation and used internal staff instead of an outside agency.
- Quarterman says he wrote to the superintendent and district attorney after seeing little action.
⚖️ Between the Lines: Quarterman claims the district punished him for speaking up. He says he was demoted, put on probation, and had his pay cut from $44 to $42 per hour. He was also moved to the night shift, making it harder to see his family, including a daughter who was recently hospitalized.
According to the lawsuit, other officers who supported the report also faced discipline or lost their jobs.
Quarterman says the district singled him out with new paperwork requirements and schedule changes.
⏳ Catch Up Quick: Georgia law requires school employees to report suspected child abuse right away. District policy says accused staff should be removed from student contact during investigations. Quarterman’s lawsuit says these rules were not followed in this case.
🌐 The Big Picture: This lawsuit shows the risks whistleblowers face in public schools, which tend to be closed environments susceptible to obfuscation. Experts say strong protections are needed so staff can report abuse without fear of losing their jobs. The outcome could set a precedent for how Savannah-Chatham County and other Georgia districts handle future complaints.
The school district has brought in a third party to investigate. The case is ongoing in Chatham County Superior Court.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
