A Cherokee County elementary school assistant principal was arrested this month after deputies said she carried out a series of shoplifting incidents at a Walmart in Woodstock, using self-checkout lanes and leaving with unpaid items between Nov. 2 and Dec. 31, 2025.
Authorities identified the suspect as Courtney Janell Shaw, 47, an assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School. Deputies say the case is in the early stages of the criminal process after a report from Walmart kicked off the investigation in mid-January. The district placed Shaw on administrative leave pending the outcome of the law enforcement case and an internal review. The immediate stakes include potential felony-level exposure in a retail theft case that investigators say involved dozens of transactions and surveillance footage tying a suspect to two vehicles later found at a Woodstock residence.
According to an incident report, a Walmart employee on Jan. 12 provided deputies surveillance video and paperwork documenting repeated losses from the store on Bells Ferry Road. The materials outlined a pattern of what investigators described as “stacking” at self-checkout kiosks: placing one item atop another, scanning only the top item, bagging both, and exiting without paying for everything. Deputies said the store’s records showed 98 items missing and a total loss of $943.97 across multiple dates in November and December. Investigators reviewed images of a woman leaving on different days in a gray pickup truck and a gray Jeep, details they later said helped narrow the search for a suspect. “It was a consistent method across incidents,” a sheriff’s office narrative said.
Deputies said they compared still images from the store to driver’s license records and identified Shaw by name, age and address. On Jan. 14, a patrol deputy documented finding a 2018 Ford F-150 pickup and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee at a Woodstock residence associated with the suspect; both vehicles matched the models seen in the videos, according to the report. Walmart staff asked to press charges and sought a criminal trespass order, deputies wrote. Warrants followed. The sheriff’s office said Shaw was booked into the county jail on Jan. 19 on a theft by shoplifting charge and released the same day on a $4,875 bond. A detailed inventory of the items allegedly taken was not included in the publicly released summaries, and investigators did not list the specific mix of merchandise in the narrative.
Free Home Elementary School confirmed Shaw’s employment and said the alleged conduct did not involve school campuses. In a written statement to families, the Cherokee County School District said the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave “pending the outcome of internal and law enforcement investigations.” The district emphasized that student and staff safety remains its top priority and that inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated. Shaw joined Free Home in 2024 after more than two decades in education, including prior administrative posts at Bascomb Elementary and Oak Grove Fine Arts Academy, according to district information. No attorney for Shaw was listed in the initial jail record, and efforts to reach one were not described in the public summaries.
The Woodstock Walmart where the alleged thefts occurred sits along Bells Ferry Road near busy commuter routes on the county’s south side. Like most big-box locations, its front end includes several self-checkout banks monitored by floor attendants. Deputies said the “stacking” technique seen on camera involved scanning one of two layered items while concealing the second in plain view of the kiosk, a tactic retailers say relies on speed and distraction around bagging areas. Store security did not capture license plates during several visits, according to the report, which is why investigators leaned on driver’s license images to make an identification. The sheriff’s office did not release independent audio from the surveillance footage, and there is no public indication that alarms or exit gates triggered during the transactions.
Georgia law allows shoplifting charges to be based on several factors, including the value of goods and the number of incidents. In this case, deputies documented a combined $943.97 across numerous dates, an amount under $1,000 but spread over what the store reported as repeated visits. The charging document filed to book Shaw lists theft by shoplifting; additional counts were not on the initial jail log. Investigators said Walmart requested criminal trespass enforcement, which typically bars a suspect from returning to the location while the case is pending. The sheriff’s office has not announced a grand jury timeline, and prosecutors have not publicly detailed whether they will aggregate alleged transactions into additional counts.
Parents and neighbors in Cherokee County reacted with a mix of surprise and frustration as news circulated through school email and local broadcasts. Outside the store this week, shoppers filtered through the sliding doors and past the self-checkout lanes that remain open during most hours. “It’s unsettling to hear about anyone in education facing this kind of accusation,” said Heather McMillan, who lives a few miles from the Bells Ferry Road location. A Free Home Elementary parent, Jason Turner, said he appreciated the district’s fast communication. “They told us the allegations were unrelated to school, and that’s what I needed to know,” he said.
For now, deputies say the investigation remains active as they compile evidence logs and finalize reports for prosecutors. Jail records show Shaw was released on bond the same day she was booked. Court scheduling information had not been posted as of Friday, and the district has not announced an interim assignment beyond administrative leave. The next milestone is a first court appearance or filing update from prosecutors in coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 30, 2026.