The Brief
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Former Montgomery County principal Andrew Winter withdrew from his new role at Rock Creek Valley Elementary after parent opposition.
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Winter was accused of grabbing and stomping on a kindergartner’s foot but was acquitted of second-degree assault charges.
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A video of the incident sparked outrage, and parents launched a petition to prevent his reassignment.
ROCKVILLE, Md. – Former Ritchie Elementary School Principal Andrew Winter, who was recently reassigned to Rock Creek Valley Elementary School in Rockville, has withdrawn from the position following backlash from parents over a controversial incident involving a kindergartner.
Montgomery County Public Schools confirmed Monday that Winter informed them of his decision to step away from the interim assistant principal role at the new school.
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His withdrawal comes after parents launched a petition opposing his reassignment.
Shocking video appears to show former MCPS principal stomping on kindergartner
What we know
The controversy stems from an incident last February, captured on video, showing Winter allegedly grabbing a 6-year-old student with autism by his clothes, sitting him down at a lunch table, and appearing to stomp on the boy’s foot, causing him to cry. Winter was arrested and charged with second-degree assault but was later acquitted.
The young student’s mother spoke exclusively with FOX 5’s Shomari Stone about the incident.
What they’re saying
The boy’s mother, speaking exclusively to FOX 5, expressed her anger and frustration over the incident and its impact on her child.
“It’s shocking,” she said. “It’s scary to know that there is video evidence of him assaulting my son and that he was acquitted. I’m still trying to understand it … It doesn’t mean he’s innocent.”
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Parents at Rock Creek Valley Elementary shared relief over Winter’s decision to withdraw.
MCPS said they are working to determine the next steps following Winter’s departure.
Andrew Winter’s attorney, Dave Martella, sent FOX 5 a statement saying,”The allegations against Mr. Winter were tested in a court of law and a judge threw the case out without Mr. Winter even having to testify. Some people want to rely on one video from one angle to draw conclusions about Mr. Winter’s conduct and, as we know from watching any NFL football game, one angle often does not show you what actually happened.”
FOX 5 reached out to Winter for comment but has not yet received a response.
The Source
The information in this article comes from FOX 5 reporting and Montgomery County Public Schools.
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