That’s how former Mineral Springs Middle School Principal Randy Fulton described Ralph Surridge when a parent expressed concerns abut her daughter’s relationship with the former drama teacher, who yesterday entered an Alford plea to several counts of sexually abusing students. The judge sentenced Surridge to 10 to 12 years in prison.
The allegations from the 2005-2006 school year came to light only after the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department began investigating Surridge for complaints filed in 2009, for which he was eventually charged. WSFCS fired Surridge in November 2009, one month after the sheriff’s office began investigating him.
An SBI investigation into how school officials have handles claims of sexual misconduct against teachers recently concluded, and District Attorney Jim O’Neill will be briefed soon. Prosecutors “have said they have had difficulty getting information involving sexual abuse cases” in WSFCS.
The Winston-Salem Journal >reports Fulton “attended Surridge’s hearing Tuesday and talked with family members and friends afterward.” Judge that for yourselves, dear reader.
