Another Sussex Central principal in trouble, charged with forgery, theft and more
Shannon Marvel McNaught- A former Sussex Central High School principal was fired for sharing inappropriate video of a student with staff.
- Judith Brittingham, former district director of special education, was appointed as his replacement.
- Brittingham resigned and was charged with theft and other offenses for falsifying overtime and mileage payments for a paraprofessional with whom she was romantically involved.
After a Sussex Central High School principal was fired for sharing video of a student's breast with staff in 2023, his replacement has been arrested on charges of official misconduct, forgery and theft.
An 18-year-old student's breast was briefly revealed – and caught on surveillance video – during an altercation at the Georgetown school in May 2023. After longtime Principal Bradley Layfield shared the video with staff members and another principal allegedly created a meme related to the incident, the student sued and both principals were later fired.
The Indian River School District appointed 46-year-old Judith Brittingham of Lewes to fill Layfield's seat in August 2023. Before her appointment, she was the district's director of special education.
An investigation into falsified overtime and mileage payments began in 2024 after district officials discovered she was in a relationship with a district paraprofessional, a Delaware Department of Justice news release said.
Brittingham arranged for the paraprofessional to receive overtime pay for performing in-home tutoring services during school hours, the release said, falsifying paperwork for 159 overtime shifts and over $15,000 in overtime pay. The investigation also found the paraprofessional was overpaid about $600 for mileage reimbursement, the release said, but Department of Justice investigators believe the paraprofessional had no knowledge of any of the falsified documents.
Brittingham "disclose(d) the payments" to district officials in 2024 when she was informed there would be an investigation into her relationship with the paraprofessional, the news release said. She resigned in June 2024, but at the time, district officials declined to comment.
Brittingham turned herself in on Wednesday, March 19, following an indictment, and was charged with official misconduct, theft and forgery, and was released on her own recognizance.
The next day, Indian River held a failed referendum to raise funds for operating costs.
Brittingham's arrest wasn't announced by the district or the Department of Justice until April 1.
Andrew Davis, a former New Jersey school district superintendent, was named principal at Sussex Central in August 2024.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com.
(This story has been updated to include recent referendum information.)