Campbell High principal charged with battery against student during ICE walkout
Campbell High School Principal Paul Gillihan was arrested this week and charged with battery against a student, court records show, resulting from an alleged incident during a student walkout in January protesting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to his arrest warrant, Gillihan is reported to have "yanked" a student back after grabbing his bookbag and wrist. The alleged incident occurred the afternoon of Jan. 30 during a student walkout protesting ICE and the Trump administration.
Gillihan is charged with simple battery harm, a misdemeanor, according to the warrant, filed Monday in Cobb Magistrate Court.
Suri Chadha Jimenez, an attorney, filed the private warrant in court, saying his 15-year-old son, Suri Colin Chadha Jimenez Potter, was the one allegedly assaulted by the principal.
Jimenez told the Journal his son was walking down the halls of Campbell High School, planning to participate in the walkout during a class change, when Gillihan allegedly pushed and grabbed him.
"(Gillihan) grabbed (my son) by the book bag and yanked him after trying to slam him against the wall," Chadha Jimenez said. "With simple battery, it's in the name. It's simple. It means an unwelcome touching … (Gillihan) touched him without permission in an offensive manner."
Investigation
Multiple videos from the incident were shared with the MDJ.
One video, taken from the school's security footage, appears to show an administrator - said to be Gillihan - attempt to take something away from a different student before walking over to and placing a hand on Chadha Jimenez Potter.
Footage from an adjacent hallway appears to show Chadha Jimenez Potter be pulled backward by his backpack before he is let go and continues through a different door down the hallway.
Chadha Jimenez's son was one of roughly 600 high schoolers across the Cobb County School District who participated in the walkouts on Jan. 30.
Students engaged in the walkout to protest ICE's actions and President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration.
As a result, Chadha Jimenez Potter and several other students at Campbell received a three-day suspension.
While suspended, Chadha Jimenez Potter was not allowed to participate in or attend any school activity on or off campus, per a suspension letter from Campbell Assistant Principal Joshua Ford.
Chadha Jimenez said he was proud of his son and the fellow students who walked out, saying they were getting into "good trouble."
"When you stand up for something, even if it's legal doesn't mean it's moral. So if you stand up for something, there might be consequences … which is what we expected," Chadha Jimenez said. "But this principal took it upon himself to go beyond what's allowed to punish kids for doing what they did and put his hands on my son and … that to me was crossing the line. Putting your hands on somebody is not OK."
Shortly after the incident, Chadha Jimenez filed a police report with the district police department, where his son reported the principal grabbed him by his backpack and pushed him against a wall, causing his left shoulder to hurt for the next few days.
According to the initial report, sent to the Journal, Gillihan denied pushing Chadha Jimenez Potter against the wall, and the reporting officer with the Cobb County School District Police Department reported "no evidence" of wrongdoing.
"I did not see evidence that there was a violation of Georgia law. No criminal charges will be filed," the report reads.
When no charges were filed, Chadha Jimenez then applied to file a private arrest warrant with Cobb Magistrate Court.
After two hearings, Magistrate Court Judge Mellori Lumpkin-Dawson found that there was probable cause that a crime was committed, Chadha Jimenez said.
Gillihan was arrested Tuesday morning at approximately 9:45 a.m. and booked at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. He was released from custody an hour-and-a-half later on a $20 bond from an unsecured judicial release.
What happens now?
As of Friday afternoon, Gillihan is still listed as Campbell's principal on the school's website, with his photo also still uploaded.
A spokesperson for the Cobb County School District issued a statement to the Journal, saying it stands firmly behind Gillihan.
"We are disappointed by the Magistrate Court's decision, particularly as the walkouts were encouraged by outside political groups and politicians during the school day, creating a tense situation that required Principal Gillihan to act quickly to maintain student safety and order," the district's statement reads.
"We stand firmly behind Principal Gillihan, as do hundreds of Campbell students, parents, and staff, and believe the facts will ultimately show he acted appropriately while carrying out his responsibilities."
Cobb School Board Chair Randy Scamihorn told the MDJ Friday he could not comment on ongoing litigation.
As for next steps, the case will be handed over to Cobb Solicitor General Makia Metzger, who will determine whether or not to pursue the case.
According to Chadha Jimenez, Gillihan will likely have the following options ahead of him:
♦ Accept a diversion offer, should it be presented, which would exchange a trial for community service hours or anger management completion;
♦ Plead guilty to the charges;
♦ Go to trial and fight the charges;
♦ File an immunity motion, where he would present evidence to show that he was justified in committing the alleged battery.
In the months since filing the police report, Chadha Jimenez said he and his family have experienced harassment online from parents and others across the district, with many calling Gillihan a "great man."
"I'm sure he's a great man in most instances. But the fact that you're a great pillar to the community doesn't change the fact that he made a mistake that day, and that mistake raised to a criminal act," Chadha Jimenez said. "We all make mistakes, great men make mistakes. And just because you do good things doesn't mean you get away with committing crimes."
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