Assistant Principal Accused of Shoplifting at Walmart
An elementary school assistant principal in Georgia is facing accusations of stealing 98 items valued at about $1,000 from Walmart through a “stacking” scheme at a self-checkout kiosk.
Courtney Janelle Shaw, 47, was taken into custody by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office on Monday. Authorities claim she had been pilfering goods from a Walmart in Woodstock, roughly 30 miles from Atlanta, for more than two months.
Shaw, who works at Freehome Elementary School, allegedly stole items worth $943.97 between November and December.
Investigators revealed that Shaw utilized a technique where she stacked multiple items on top of each other at the self-checkout and scanned just one before leaving the store.
A Walmart employee provided authorities with surveillance footage of the incident on January 12, which helped identify Shaw through a driver’s license database.
The authorities noted that two vehicles seen in the surveillance footage, a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, belonged to Shaw and were later located at her residence.
Following her arrest, Shaw was booked into the Cherokee County Jail on a charge of felony shoplifting. She was released the same day after posting $4,875 bail.
After the allegations surfaced, Shaw was placed on administrative leave by officials at Freehome Elementary School. The school district stated that, “As soon as these allegations were reported, the employee was placed on administrative leave pending an internal and law enforcement investigation. Maintaining the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority, and inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.”
Shaw has over 20 years of experience in education and has held leadership positions as assistant principal at two other elementary schools. She began her career as a fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina before teaching various grades in Florida. In 2012, she transitioned into administration, becoming the assistant principal at Oak Grove Fine Arts Academy and then Bascom Elementary School in 2016, where she served for eight years. In 2024, she joined Freehome as its first full-time assistant principal.
The school had previously praised Shaw for her experience and dedication, describing her as a valuable asset in her role.
This isn’t the first time a school official has been accused of theft involving Walmart’s self-checkout system. In an incident in Florida, Bok Academy North Principal Gregory Lewis was observed skipping scans at a self-checkout at a Polk County Walmart in March 2025.
