Southeast Whitfield High School principal Matthew Mederios has resigned following a “thorough investigation connected to alleged misconduct prior to his employment with Whitfield County Schools,” Superintendent Mike Ewton said Tuesday.
Mederios, who began as the high school’s principal in August, was placed on administrative leave by Whitfield County Schools on Dec. 2 following “allegations” brought forth by a “third party,” said Ewton.
In an email Thursday, Whitfield County Schools’ Communications Director Kristina Horsley said the matter involving Mederios is being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
“I can confirm that Dr. Mederios resigned on Friday afternoon,” Ewton said. “I can’t get into the details of the investigation other than to say we did receive a third party complaint and it was about something that happened prior to him working for us. To my understanding, the GBI still has an investigation ongoing and, just from our personal investigation, we’re able to follow up on some things. But as long as it’s ongoing, we cannot give you any other details.”
In a letter sent home with Southeast Whitfield High School students Monday, Ewton stated the “alleged misconduct” Mederios was being investigated for is unrelated to his time at the high school.
“While these allegations are unrelated to his time at Southeast High School, we believe this decision is in the best interest of our students, staff and community,” Ewton stated in the letter.
To “ensure a smooth transition and continuity in leadership,” the letter stated that former Southeast Whitfield High School principal Denise Pendley, who directly preceded Mederios, will serve as the interim principal throughout the spring semester as officials begin looking for a permanent principal.
Pendley left the position earlier this year to become the school system’s director of high school curriculum following the retirement of Tom Appelman.
“Dr. Pendley brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of our school community, and we are confident in her ability to provide steady leadership during this time,” Ewton said. “Our priority remains the success and well-being of our students, and we are committed to maintaining a positive and supportive learning environment.”
Ewton said Pendley began in the interim principal position Monday.
“We met with the staff (Monday) morning and Dr. Pendley was there with us,” Ewton said. “She has actually already been there helping out while Dr. Mederios was on administrative leave. It’s not a great situation overall, but we do have comfort in knowing that she’s there and she knows the school, the families and the staff. We feel like in the interim, the school will be in good shape until we are ready to find a new principal there.”
Nelly Miles, the director of the GBI’s Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, said Friday the situation regarding Mederios was “an active criminal investigation.”
“Beyond that, there are no investigative details that can be released at this time,” Miles said.
In an email Tuesday, Miles said there was not “any (further) information to share at this point.”
Prior to joining Whitfield County Schools, Mederios served as the principal of Dalton Public Schools’ The Dalton Academy for four years.
A statement provided by Dalton Public Schools’ Executive Director of Communications Kendra Pannell on Friday said officials there are “aware of the situation” and remain “committed to cooperating fully with any lawful investigation while respecting privacy and legal obligations.”