- Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, a Free Home Elementary assistant principal, was arrested for allegedly stealing 98 Walmart items valued at $943.97 using self-checkout stacking.
- Investigators say she scanned a single item while placing multiple products together at self-checkout during thefts reported in November and December.
- Surveillance footage provided January 12 and a driver's-license database identification linked two vehicles registered to Shaw to the alleged incidents.
- She was booked on one felony shoplifting charge, released the same day on $4,875 bond, and placed on administrative leave.
WOODSTOCK, GEORGIA — Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, an assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School, is accused of stealing 98 items worth $943.97 from a Walmart in Woodstock by using a self-checkout “stacking” method, investigators allege. Shaw was arrested Monday and charged with felony shoplifting in Cherokee County.
Alleged self-checkout method involved scanning only one item
Investigators allege Shaw used a “stacking” technique at self-checkout kiosks, placing multiple items together and scanning only one before leaving the store with the rest of the merchandise. The allegations span more than two months and include thefts reported in November and December.
Surveillance review and vehicles tied to the case
A store employee provided surveillance footage to investigators on January 12 and used a driver’s license database to identify Shaw as the suspected shopper, according to the report. Authorities also cited two vehicles seen in the footage — a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee — that were registered to Shaw and later located at her residence.
Booking, bond, and school district response
Shaw was booked into the Cherokee County jail on one felony count of shoplifting. She was released later the same day on a $4,875 bond.
School officials said Shaw was placed on administrative leave once the allegations were reported, pending internal and law enforcement investigations. District leaders also stated that inappropriate conduct would not be tolerated.
Education career background noted in reports
Shaw’s career in education spans more than two decades. She began as a fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina, later taught multiple grade levels in Florida, and moved into school leadership in 2012. She held assistant principal roles at Oak Grove Fine Arts Academy and Bascomb Elementary before joining Free Home Elementary in 2024 as the school’s first full-time assistant principal.
Similar self-checkout allegation cited in another state
The report also noted that another school administrator in Florida faced allegations in 2025 involving self-checkout “skip scanning” at a Walmart.
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