A second administrator at Dade County High School is now on leave as investigators look into conduct by the school’s former principal.
What’s happening: Assistant Principal Vic Grider was placed on leave November 9 as part of an ongoing investigation into former principal Brent Cooper. The Dade County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies are involved. The school district says it will cooperate with the investigation.
Background: The Dade County Board of Education accepted Cooper’s resignation October 30. At that time, Grider was named as a point of contact for students, staff, and families alongside another administrator, Chastity Steadman. The district referred the matter to the state’s child welfare agency and to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which oversees educator licenses. State law requires that referral when educator misconduct is alleged.
What changed: With Grider now on leave, Steadman has taken over day-to-day operations at the school, with support from district staff. Superintendent Josh Ingle has sent letters to families and staff about both developments.
What this means for you: The district has not described the specific nature of the allegations. The October 30 letter referenced conduct that “exploits, harms, or violates the trust placed in an educator” without further detail.
The path forward: Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to call the Dade County Sheriff’s Office at 706-657-3233.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
