Assistant principal arrested after allegedly using shocking method at Walmart self-checkout to steal 98 items
An assistant principal has been placed on leave after allegedly stealing nearly $1,000 worth of goods from Walmart.
Courtney Shaw is accused of stealing 98 items from Walmart between November and December 2025 and was booked into Cherokee County jail, Georgia, on January 26.
Shaw has been charged with one felony count of shoplifting and was released from jail on the same day of her arrest with a $4,875 bond.
She is an assistant principal at Free Home Elementary School and, in the wake of the allegations she's facing, has been placed on leave.
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Investigators say that Shaw used a 'stacking method' to allegedly steal the 98 items. This is where a person scans multiple items on top of one another and scans only a single item at a self-checkout before leaving the store.
The 98 items believed to have been stolen by Shaw have a combined value of $943.97, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
It has been confirmed that Shaw has been placed on administrative leave from the school where she works.
"Immediately upon these allegations being reported, the employee was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of internal and law enforcement investigations," the district told Fox 5.
"Maintaining the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority and inappropriate conduct will never be tolerated," it added.
According to the incident report, Shaw - who has been an educator for 24 years - was identified by police after a Walmart employee provided surveillance footage and they ran the plates of two vehicles, a 2018 Ford F-150 and a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The cars were found at Shaw's property and were confirmed to be registered to her.
It's unknown when Shaw is next due in court and if she's yet entered any kind of plea.
Shaw's alleged behavior comes after Walmart removed some self-checkouts in select states over the last couple of years, Newsweek said in 2024.
While the retailer said this was to 'improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service', many believe the change was a way to tackle shoplifters using self-checkouts to their advantage.
And it's not just Walmart experiencing these issues — it's all stores with self-checkouts.
According to Capital One Shopping, over 36 million Americans have stolen from a self-checkout kiosk.
Data published on January 21 found that 27 per cent of consumers admit to using self-checkout to steal, with 55 per cent admitting that they planned to re-offend.
Niamh Shackleton