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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A former principal at an Alexandria middle school has been arrested after authorities said he smacked a female student on the buttocks.
Mount Vernon police said 53-year-old Terrence Eugene Yarborough of Woodbridge was accused of hitting a 12-year-old girl on her buttocks at Carl Sandburg Middle School on April 4.
The student was in the cafeteria with friends when Yarborough asked the girl to pick something up from the floor and she declined, according to police. After she refused a second time, police said Yarborough smacked the girl on her buttocks. Authorities said the student left the cafeteria and reported the incident to a teacher.
An investigation was launched and Yarborough was removed from the school and placed on administrative leave.
Yarborough was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery on July 10. He was released and was scheduled to appear in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on Aug. 4.
Fairfax County Public Schools released the following statement to FOX 5:
"FCPS takes all allegations of staff misconduct very seriously. After these allegations were first referred to FCPS investigators, Mr. Yarborough was immediately placed on administrative leave on April 4, 2017. FCPS cooperated with police and child protective services during the course of the investigation. Mr. Yarborough did not return to the school and subsequently resigned from his position, effective June 30, 2017. Following due process, FCPS will pursue the revocation of his teaching and administrator licenses as appropriate, once the criminal case against him is adjudicated. FCPS is committed to ensuring that all students attend school in an environment that is respectful, safe, and where they feel a high degree of trust with the staff who serve them."