School Board Appoints New Principal At Clayton Elementary School

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A new face will lead Clayton Elementary School.

The Cherokee County School Board at its Thursday meeting approved appointing Abbey Philpot, an assistant principal at Hasty Elementary Fine Arts Academy, as the new principal at Clayton.

Philpot replaces John Hultquist, who has been on a voluntarily paid leave absence since his arrest last month by Holly Springs police for driving under the influence.

Hultquist was booked into the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on Friday, Oct. 23 on DUI, misdemeanor attempting to elude police and weaving over the roadway charges, jail records show.

According to an incident report released by Holly Springs police, officers attempted to stop a dark in color Ford Expedition along Interstate 575 near the Marble Quarry Road overpass in the city limits. The SUV led police on a low-speed chase northbound on the interstate.

The vehicle passed Exits 14, 16 and 19 while on I-575, and eventually came to a stop at the top of the exit ramp at Exit 20/Riverstone Parkway after a Cherokee Sheriff’s Office deputy deployed stop sticks, which deflated SUV’s tires.

A Holly Springs officer exited his patrol vehicle and commanded the driver -- later identified as Hultquist -- to step out of the SUV.

Hultquist, according to the incident report, allegedly “appeared very unsteady on his feet, and he was unable to follow the directions” given by a fellow officer.

“The driver appeared very confused and incoherent to his surroundings,” the report stated.

The former principal was asked why he did not stop, and Hultquist allegedly told officers that “he did not know that I was trying to stop him,” according to the report.

Hultquist was subsequently detained and taken into custody.

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