CMS suspends principal and assistant after report of playground touching incident

The principal and assistant principal of Pineville Elementary School were suspended Friday as Pineville police investigate a playground incident involving two children.

Principal Brian Doerer, who has worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for almost 30 years, and Assistant Principal Kathryn Trotter are suspended with pay, according to a Friday message sent to parents from their supervisor, Steve Esposito.

Earlier, Doerer had notified parents that police and the school were investigating “a student incident on the playground” that happened Wednesday, WBTV reported.

WBTV reported that the incident involved an 8-year-old boy tackling an 8-year-old girl, forcing another boy to put his hand on the girl’s crotch and then pulling down the girl’s pants. The TV station interviewed the mother of the girl, who asked to remain anonymous.

According to CMS, Esposito will run Pineville Elementary until an interim leader can be named. Students are off Monday for Veterans Day and will return Tuesday.

Pineville Elementary, in the south suburbs, has almost 800 students.