Court records accuse Wellcome Middle School Principal Keith Neal of repeatedly appearing at a fellow educator’s home despite requests that he stop.
GREENVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina middle school principal has been suspended with pay after being charged with misdemeanor stalking involving another employee in his school district, according to court records and Pitt County Schools.
Keith Louis Neal, 42, principal of Wellcome Middle School, was charged this week after authorities accused him of repeatedly driving past a woman’s home, arriving there without an invitation and trying to enter the residence despite requests that he stop. The allegations are contained in a court warrant and have not been proven in court.
The woman involved is a teacher at J.H. Rose High School and works within the same Pitt County school system as Neal, according to local reporting. Court records allege that Neal knew the woman and engaged in conduct that he knew or should have known would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety.
Pitt County Schools suspended Neal with pay Wednesday as the criminal case became public. The district confirmed his employment history but said it does not comment on personnel matters. Neal has worked for Pitt County Schools since 2018, when he was hired as an assistant principal at J.H. Rose High School.
School district records cited by local news organizations show Neal transferred to Pactolus School in 2021, where he continued working as an assistant principal. He was promoted to principal of Wellcome Middle School in 2022. The district has not publicly said how long Neal will remain suspended or who will carry out his duties while he is away from the school.
The arrest warrant alleges Neal repeatedly drove by the woman’s residence and appeared there uninvited. It further alleges that he tried to gain entry to her home after she had asked him several times to stop the behavior. Authorities have not publicly disclosed additional details about the circumstances leading to the charge or the nature of the relationship between Neal and the teacher.
Neal was released after posting a $75,000 secured bond, according to court records and local reports. His release conditions include an order to stay away from and have no contact with the woman involved in the case. Publicly available reports reviewed for this story did not identify an attorney speaking on Neal’s behalf or include a response from him to the allegations.
The charge against Neal is misdemeanor stalking. The court allegations do not establish guilt, and the case remains subject to the criminal justice process. No additional criminal charges had been announced in the reports reviewed, and authorities had not publicly alleged that students were involved in the case.
Pitt County Schools has confirmed Neal’s suspension but has released little additional information because the matter involves personnel. The criminal case remains pending as the district handles Neal’s employment status separately from the court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.