SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A popular Fulton County school principal resigned from his post Friday after school officials said a routine audit found "inappropriate use of financial resources."
Eddie Echols had been principal of Riverwood International Charter High School in Sandy Springs since 2002 and had been with the school since 1993.
According to an internal audit obtained by Channel 2's Mike Petchenik, school officials discovered Echols had used an "unauthorized" American Express card linked to the school to make personal purchases. Auditors wrote that Echols reimbursed the district for some of the purchases, but that they could not verify that all purchases were reimbursed because Echols didn't provide a detailed list of all expenses.
An investigative letter obained by Petchenik said that Echols admitted to school investigators he had used the card to pay for "rehearsal dinner" for his family and that he had purchased tickets for his wife to attend a conference with him.
"But I paid them right back," the letter said Echols told investigators. The letter said Echols "also provided that he had encountered financial difficulty, which is inferred as a possible reason for use of the credit card for personal expenses."
Fulton County School District spokeswoman Samantha Evans told Petchenik there was no evidence Echols stole any money or that he broke the law, but the audit revealed he had misused "several thousand dollars" during the 2008-2009 school year.
A letter circulated Tuesday to parents by area Superintendent Iris Moran said Echols' resignation had nothing to do with the "well-being of students or staff nor the school's performance under his leadership."
Evans said the district has assigned an interim principal to the school and that the search for a permanent replacement was under way. News of Echols' resignation sent shockwaves through the tight-knit school community.
"I've talked to Mr. Echols many times, and he's a great man," said Riverwood senior Samuel Lack. "All I can do is hear what happens. Everyone makes mistakes."
Parent Yuneera Hudson told Petchenik the allegations concerned her and, that if true, she believes Echols made the right decision to step aside.
"This is a publicly funded school, so that's our good tax dollars going to waste or being misused," she said. "That's not a good thing."
The president of the Riverwood Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for school programs, told Petchenik he was shocked to hear the allegations, but that he hoped they don't overshadow the school's successes.
Eric de Groot pointed out that Riverwood is ranked top among all Fulton County schools and is among the top three schools in all of Georgia. He said the school is also one of the top 150 schools in the country, due, in part, to Echols' leadership.
"It's important for the people to know Riverwood is an incredible school and it has nothing to do with what just happened that should affect the reputation of the school," he said.
Petchenik reached out to Echols via email and by phone but got no response.
WSBTV
