Bulloch Local News
Mattie Lively Administrator Arrested for Simple Battery on 7-Year-Old
A longtime Bulloch County educator last assigned to Mattie Lively Elementary School has been arrested by the Statesboro Police Department.
Public records show that Patrick Morse Hill, 53, was arrested on Simple Battery charges on November 28. Hill's warrants, signed by Captain Jared Akins of the Statesboro Police Department, were filed in Bulloch County State Court on December 5, 2022.
The warrant for Hill's arrest states that, on November 14, 2022, Hill caused physical harm to a seven-year-old by "throwing him down on a bench causing a small abrasion to the knuckle area." The school system reported to TGV News that the incident occurred while Hill was attempting to discipline the student.
Under Georgia law, Simple Battery is a misdemeanor defined as either:
Intentionally making physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with the person of another; or
Intentionally causes physical harm to another.
Under subsection (i) of the law, however, "any person who commits the offense of simple battery against an employee of a public school system of this state while such employee is engaged in official duties or on school property shall, upon conviction of such offense, be punished for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature."
News of Arrest Not Shared With Others
According to the Daily Bulletin from the Statesboro Police Department, Hill was arrested on November 28, however, his photo was not distributed with the daily booking reports from the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office for that date or any subsequent date that followed.
TGV News filed an Open Records Request to obtain a copy of his jail booking photo on December 6, 2022. It was provided, however, Hill's arrest does not appear on the Bulloch County jail website.
TGV News also filed an Open Records Request with the Statesboro Police Department, seeking a copy of the initial incident report, which would reflect basic details about the report being made to SPD. An initial incident report does not exist for the documents.
Records from Bulloch County Board of Education
TGV News filed an Open Records Request with the Bulloch County Board of Education on December 6, 2022, seeking Hill's complete personnel file. The request is awaiting fulfillment.
Hill is no longer working at Mattie Lively Elementary.
According to the Bulloch County School System:
Bulloch County Schools' district leadership was made aware of potentially inappropriate actions taken by an administrator at Mattie Lively Elementary School during an attempt to discipline a child.
The school district immediately conducted a thorough investigation and reported the incident to the proper authorities.The school district has cooperated fully with law enforcement.
Based on firsthand witness statements and a review of available surveillance footage, the superintendent did decide to seek termination and non-renewal of the administrator's employment contract.
The administrator will receive all rights afforded by Georgia's Fair Dismissal Act and all other applicable laws and rules.
A hearing for final Board of Education action is scheduled for December 16. According to court records, he is scheduled for arraignment in mid-January 2023.
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