A Georgia elementary school assistant principal is accused of pulling off a brazen self-checkout scheme, allegedly stealing 98 Walmart items valued at around $1,000.
Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, was arrested Monday by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office after investigators said she had been stealing merchandise from a Walmart in Woodstock—about 30 miles north of Atlanta—for more than two months, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Shaw—an assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School—is accused of swiping 98 Walmart items valued at $943.97 over a two-month period between November and December.
A Free Home Elementary School assistant principal is accused of pulling off a bold self-checkout “stacking” scheme to allegedly swipe nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise from Walmart. Cherokee Sheriff's Office
Authorities say Shaw repeatedly used a self-checkout “stacking” trick—layering several items together, scanning just one, and walking out of the store with the rest.
A Walmart employee provided investigators with surveillance video of the alleged thefts on Jan. 12 and later used a driver’s license database to identify Shaw as the suspect, the outlet reported.
Authorities said two vehicles flagged in the surveillance footage—a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee—were registered to Shaw and later found at her home.
Shaw was taken to the Cherokee County jail after her arrest on Monday and charged with a felony count of shoplifting.
Later that day, the mother of one walked out of jail after posting a $4,875 bond.
Shaw allegedly stole 98 items worth $943.97 from Walmart over a two-month period between November and December. Courtney Shaw/Facebook
Officials at Free Home Elementary School in Cherokee County said Shaw has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
“Immediately upon these allegations being reported, the employee was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and law enforcement investigations,” the district told Fox 5 Atlanta.
“Maintaining the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority and inappropriate conduct will never be tolerated.”
The veteran educator has spent more than two decades in education, including leadership roles as an assistant principal at two other elementary schools.
Authorities allege Shaw used a self-checkout “stacking” trick, layering several items but scanning only one before walking out. REUTERS
Shaw began her teaching career as a fifth-grade teacher in North Carolina and later taught multiple grades in Florida, the school’s website reports.
Shaw transitioned into educational leadership in 2012 as assistant principal at Oak Grove Fine Arts Academy and was appointed assistant principal at Bascomb Elementary in 2016, where she served for eight years.
Bringing 24 years of experience in education, Shaw joined Free Home Elementary in 2024 as the school’s first-ever full-time assistant principal.
On its website, the school lauded Shaw, saying she “brings a wealth of experience and dedication” to her role as Assistant Principal at Free Home.
Shaw joins a troubling pattern, as she’s not the first high-ranking school official accused of swiping items at Walmart self-checkouts.
Florida’s Bok Academy North principal Gregory Lewis was caught on March 2025 at a Polk County Walmart allegedly skipping scans at the self-checkout, an asset protection officer reported.
