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Assistant principal charged in theft
By JAMIE MALERNEE and BARBARA BEHRENDT © St. Petersburg Times, published April 11, 2001 CRYSTAL RIVER -- Faced with personal hardship, the assistant principal of Crystal River Middle School says he didn't know how to deal with feelings of pain and anger. So instead of looking for help, he "reacted poorly," Jeffrey Walz said Tuesday. He said he walked into an Inverness Wal-Mart on March 21 and stuffed a bicycle intertube and handle bar under his shirt -- and then left the store without paying. "I apologize to the people I've let down," Walz said. "I had a close, personal friend that had a tragedy . . . and I wanted something bad to happen to me. I reacted poorly." Deputies caught Walz, 43, and cited him with a count of retail theft. He was told to appear in court at a later date, but he was not arrested, records show. Walz said that he is now seeking help and has been on medical leave from the school for three weeks. He said he is not sure he will return to Crystal River Middle even if administrators say he can. He has explained to his children what happened and has advice for students who face challenges like his. "Talk to someone," he said. "Don't hold it inside until it blows up." Citrus County sheriff's officials would not release further details of his case, pending its outcome in court. Spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan said that no narrative of the incident at the store on Gulf to Lake Highway had been recorded with the citation. School officials were similarly tight-lipped. "We are aware of the arrest. He is currently out on sick leave," said Personnel Director Sam Stiteler. What happens next depends on the outcome of the case. While there is no current investigation by the county into the situation, Stiteler said the standard procedure is to gather information on an arrest and forward it to the office of Professional Practices Services, which is the investigative arm of the state Department of Education. While the School Board and district determine any punishment an employee might face related to their job status, it is the state that determines action against an educator's teaching certificate. Administrators and teachers have teaching certificates. Walz, of 290 E Buckingham Drive in Lecanto, was hired by the district in February 1999 and makes $52,400 a year. He has no prior arrest record, state reports show.
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