Last Monday, an assistant principal from a Georgia elementary school found herself in handcuffs after being implicated in a series of shoplifting cases at Walmart. The incidents involved a sophisticated “stacking” technique at self-checkout kiosks, resulting in the theft of approximately $1,000 worth of goods, as reported by Fox 5 Atlanta.

Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, was allegedly captured on surveillance footage layering multiple items and scanning just one of them before leaving the store. Following her arrest, she was held in the Cherokee County jail on a felony shoplifting charge and was released later that day on a $4,875 bond, according to the Cherokee Tribune.

Authorities estimate that Shaw took 98 items, valued at $943.97, over a period spanning November to December of last year.

Free Home Elementary School in Cherokee County, where Shaw has worked for two decades, confirmed that the educator and mother has been placed on administrative leave.

“Once these allegations were brought to our attention, the employee was immediately put on administrative leave while both internal and law enforcement investigations are conducted,” the school district informed Fox 5.

“Immediately upon these allegations being reported, the employee was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and law enforcement investigations,” the district told Fox 5. 

“Maintaining the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority and inappropriate conduct will never be tolerated.”

Courtney Shaw was arrested last Monday after allegedly stealing nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise at Walmart in Georgia. (Courtney Shaw / Facebook)

Her alleged shoplifting spree was first reported on Jan. 12 when a Walmart employee provided police surveillance footage of Shaw appearing to steal the products, according to the outlet, citing the incident report.  

Two days later, investigators reportedly matched Shaw to the thefts using a driver’s license database.

Courtney Shaw, the assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School in Georgia, has been placed on administrative leave.  (Courtney Shaw / Facebook)

Authorities reportedly said the two suspicious vehicles they noted in the surveillance footage, a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, were registered to Shaw and later found at her residence.

According to the school’s website, Shaw joined Free Home Elementary in 2024 as the assistant principal. Her education career spans more than two decades and includes previous leadership roles as an assistant principal at two other elementary schools.