COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A local school district says it has placed a principal accused of driving drunk and causing a crash near her school on administrative leave.
But some parents say they’ve seen Addison Elementary Principal Jill Spiva back on the job using crutches.
And while some parents don’t support Spiva being back at work, others see nothing wrong with it.
“For me, support her,” said a parent who asked us to only use his first name, Ivan.
He told Channel 2’s Tom Jones that he has no concerns about Spiva getting arrested for DUI and traffic offenses.
He thinks it has no impact on her job.
“Yeah. She’s a good principal,” Ivan said.
Other parents feel differently.
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We heard from parents who said they’ve seen Spiva back at work and on crutches.
One wrote a message that said Spiva should not be at school while the investigation into her arrest is ongoing.
She said Spiva is not in the right state of mind to return to school.
Ivan said what Spiva is accused of doing on the road has no bearing on her performance at school.
“She’s doing a great job here. We haven’t seen that kind of thing with her. Regarding the school, it’s OK,” he said.
He said he didn’t know if she was back at work.
A Cobb County school district spokesperson sent Jones an email, saying Spiva is on administrative leave, but wouldn’t say the day and time that leave started.
Police arrested Spiva after they said she was involved in a crash at Sandy Plains and Ebenezer roads on Thursday evening in Cobb County. That’s less than a half mile from Spiva’s school.
Officers say they suspected DUI, then found a half-empty bottle of vodka in a white plastic bag in her car.
Police say Spiva refused a blood test.
A judge signed a warrant forcing her to give up her blood.
Ivan is asking people to give Spiva some grace.
“I think that everyone deserves another chance,” he told Jones.
Meanwhile, Cobb County Superintendent Kevin Carpenter sent a note to parents essentially saying the district couldn’t discuss a personnel situation at the school, but it is being carefully examined, consistent with district policy.,
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