A Maryland elementary school is in hot water after a principal was caught on camera stepping on an autistic child’s foot.
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According to local media outlet Fox 5, the incident occurred in 2024 at Ritchie Park Elementary in Montgomery County. The principal, Andrew Winter, was reassigned to Rock Creek Valley Elementary after the incident. However, he eventually withdrew from the district.
Rock Creek Valley Elementary’s parents claim that Winter’s assistant principal appointment was made without transparency or community input.
The video of the principal stepping on an autistic student’s foot led to him being charged with assault. The allegations surfaced while he was employed at Rock Creek Elementary.
In the video, Winter was seen wearing a green jersey and was in the Ritchie Park Elementary’s cafeteria during his interaction with the student this past June. He is accused of grabbing the student by their clothing and forcibly sat the child down in a nearby chair. The principal then looked around before purposably stepping on the autistic child’s foot. The move caused the student to cry.
The Principal Is Acquitted Following Assault of Autistic Child’s Foot Incident
However, despite the video evidence, Winter was acquitted of the assault charge in a Montgomery County bench trial. The mother of the student was shocked by the court’s decision.
“Shocking, scary to know there is video evidence of him physically assaulting my son, and now he’s acquitted – I’m still trying to understand that,” she told Fox 5. “I’m still in shock. It’s been a year – still can’t believe this happened to my now 7-year-old.”
Andrew Winter’s attorney, Dave Martella, released a statement after the principal was acquitted.
“The allegations against Mr. Winter were tested in a court of law,” Martella explained. “And a judge threw the case out without Mr. Winter even having to testify. Some people want to rely on one video from one angle to draw conclusions about Mr. Winter’s conduct.
“As we know from watching any NFL football game,” he continued. “One angle often does not show you what actually happened.”
Montgomery County Public Schools revealed to FOX 5 that Winter had informed officials earlier this month that he did not want to be assigned to Rock Creek Valley Elementary.
Despite his acquittal, parents at the school started a petition about his suitability for the assistant principal.
“The recent appointment of Andrew Winter as Assistant Principal directly contradicts [the school’s] core values,” the petition reads. “Mr. Winter’s concerning behavior and documented inability to manage student behavioral issues raise serious concerns about his suitability for this critical role.”
“We, the undersigned parents, teachers, and concerned community members, find this decision unacceptable,” the petition continued.
The petition’s signer demanded that Montgomery County Public Schools rescind the appointment of Winter as assistant principal.
The parents also demanded the district initiate a transparent and inclusive selection process with meaningful community involvement.