A former elementary school principal in Kentucky is accused of threatening two second-grade students with a fake gun, according to a lawsuit filed by one of the students’ parents.
In September 2019, Duan Wright, then-principal of Hartstern Elementary School, allegedly slammed a gun onto his desk while speaking to two misbehaving second-graders... Continue reading here ▶
He reportedly told them, “If you don’t get it together, I’m going to feed you to the wolves.” Wright later said the gun was a toy, which was confirmed by the superintendent, Dr. Marty Pollio.
However, the school’s rules treat toy weapons the same as real ones if they are used to intimidate or threaten.
The lawsuit claims Wright kept the boys in his office all day as punishment. When he showed the gun, the boys believed their lives were in danger and cried.
One boy’s mother, who filed the lawsuit, said her son’s behavior changed significantly after the incident. He began experiencing frequent bedwetting, stomachaches, headaches, and emotional outbursts.
The boys reported the incident to teachers, and Child Protective Services (CPS) interviewed them. One of the boys also claimed that Wright had spanked him on another occasion.
The children’s accounts were described in the lawsuit as consistent and detailed. However, CPS found the allegations “unsubstantiated” and “inconclusive,” and Wright faced no disciplinary action.
In January 2020, Wright reportedly admitted to the boy’s mother that he showed the students a toy gun he had taken from another student. Despite this, he continued confronting the boy at school for months.
The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board began investigating, but Wright negotiated a deal for a two-month suspension, ethics training, and probation before evidence could be presented.
The school district did not take action to discipline him, and he remained in a leadership position. Wright was later transferred to a different role within the school system instead of being fired.
The mother of the boy Wright admitted to threatening worked in the same building where he was transferred.
She claimed she felt “shocked and terrified” to see him at work and eventually resigned after Wright frequently asked her to “drop the case.”
The lawsuit accuses Wright and the school district of negligence, false imprisonment, assault, and outrage. It also alleges that school officials, including Superintendent Pollio and Assistant Superintendent Paige Hartstern, failed to hold Wright accountable, allowing him to remain in a position of power. The lawsuit seeks punitive and compensatory damages.
Wright was terminated from Jefferson County Public Schools in March 2024. Previously, in 2022, he was sued by another parent for allegedly abusing a child physically. Law&Crime reached out to Dr. Pollio for comment but received no response.
