Principal Drops Penalty For Teen Over North Paulding High School Photos

Hannah Watters told The Associated Press that her principal called her mother, apologized and completely removed her punishment, leaving her surprised and “very grateful.” The 15-year-old sophomore posted images Tuesday showing crowded hallways at the 2,400-student North Paulding High School in Dallas, northwest of Atlanta.

A North Paulding High School student said her five-day suspension for sharing images of crowded conditions on campus was lifted Friday after she appealed and said she was ready to take her case to court.

Hannah Watters told The Associated Press that her principal called her mother, apologized and completely removed her punishment, leaving her surprised and “very grateful.”

She had been suspended for taking a photo and video that she shared with news organizations to raise an alarm after seeing that most of her fellow students weren’t wearing masks to reduce the spread of coronavirus infections.